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Emergency vehicle tire tracks on snow
Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Courier Services

Seven Benefits of Emergency Lights and Sirens Couriers in Winter Months

The winter brings abundant experiences, holidays, gatherings, and activities. The joy and cheer that winter hustles along with its holidays and events are always highlights of this season. While this time of year brings all of this goodness and cheer, the snow and unpredictable weather can bring a whole nother slew of winter experiences. Good or bad, winter weather affects our lives day to day. Another important piece of this to consider in the medical and transportation industry is how the increased unpredictability of weather can cause more frequent accidents and incidents as well as a higher need for medical product transportation. The winter is therefore also bringing in an increased importance of having relationships with emergency lights and sirens couriers to address every unpredictable situation most efficiently. 

Benefits of a Relationship with Emergency Lights and Sirens Couriers: 

  1. Time Efficiency: One benefit of utilizing emergency lights and sirens couriers throughout the year, but particularly in the winter, is the time saved. You know the drill, a lights and sirens vehicle has elevated abilities to transport blood, medical products, and patients in the most time-effective way. These vehicles can get through bad traffic quickly with their legal abilities to bypass certain traffic laws and restrictions when conditions allow. We’ve all seen lights and sirens vehicles navigate their way quickly through traffic jams, lights, and other tricky traffic situations. This ability allows for the highest level of timely transportation.
  1. Bypassing Road Closures: Many roads are closed in the winter due to weather, which can hinder the routes and accessibility of vehicle transportation. However, emergency lights and sirens vehicles can access these roads and safely navigate their way through winter weather closures, providing clients and emergency facilities with efficient and effective route transportation that other transport vehicles don’t necessarily have access to.
  1. Accident Navigation: An unfortunate reality of winter months is an increase in weather-related car accidents. At one point or another, everyone witnesses increased traffic, roadblocks, and slow travel times due to accidents. Emergency lights and siren vehicles can bypass these restrictions and breeze past accident scenes in order to get to their destination. Sometimes the product being transported by an emergency vehicle is for individuals involved in the same car accidents that they are able to quickly drive past. This reality allows for the transportation of products to arrive as soon as possible to better treat the patients in need of the blood or other medical products being transported.
  1. High Priority from Emergency Departments: The high priority status of emergency lights and sirens vehicles creates relationships with police departments and other emergency establishments. This recognition and priority level is yet another factor in why relationships between facilities, clients, and emergency lights and sirens couriers are essential throughout the year, but especially with the unpredictability and danger that winter transportation can bring.
  1. Increased Security: These vehicles bring with them their emergency lights and sirens status, road privileges, safety measures, and high levels of security. Couriers equipped with lights and sirens can safely monitor their vehicles and the product being transported. The increased level of security here provides peace of mind that the product being transported will arrive at its destination in optimal condition.
  1. Quicker Turnaround Time: Emergency lights and sirens couriers offer a quicker turnaround time than normal stat drivers as they are staffed 24/7. There is always a trained ad certified professional available to complete a transport call and ensure the efficiency and safety that comes with utilizing this service. Everyone knows that in the event of an emergency, time is of the essence. Shaving off even a few minutes of transportation time can save lives in the medical world. 
  1. Software (Medi-Ops Specific): The highly advanced software provided by Medi-Ops allows immediate tracking of orders and vehicles (in addition to the ability to place orders, receive immediate quotes, and bill directly from us). With these abilities, the consistent and quality service of Medi-Ops provides an added level of security and peace of mind that orders and transportation services will be on time and in good condition upon arrival. 

All in all, the utilization of emergency lights and sirens couriers will always be an essential relationship to have in winter months, if not year-round. At Medi-Ops, our fleet of vehicles in addition to our relationships with both ground and air couriers provides a level of service like no other. Don’t allow winter weather to hinder the efficiency, safety, and security of medical emergency procedures. Proper transportation is an absolutely essential piece of continuing to make innovative strides in the medical world and can save lives. Creating a relationship with emergency lights and sirens couriers is a vital part of the medical transportation process if you want to deliver the highest level of care to clients and patients alike.

Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Courier Services, Hospitals

The Importance of Medical Logistics

Medical logistics are a part of everyday life in the world of medicine. Why are they important? What do they do? Why do they matter? Are they worth investing in? Let’s answer these questions and more as we dive into the importance of medical logistics.

Medical Logistics Explained

You can’t look into medical logistics without also understanding supply chain management. The reason for supply chain management is organizing and linking networks in order to get products where they need to be in the most efficient and time-friendly manner possible. This involves costs, patient and establishment needs, transportation networks, shipping speeds, quality protection, and more. Not to mention the added logistics and considerations when hazardous materials, temperature sensitivity, insurance, and short-life products are involved. Logistics steps into those various components and processes of supply chain management. When all operations are moving smoothly from one end of the supply chain to the other, logistics is doing its job, lives are being saved, and operations are running at the best level possible. Clearly, a lot goes into reaching this point of optimal logistics and transportation.

Importance of Logistics

The two most valuable and measured things in the world are time and money. Medical logistics are important because they expound upon both time (through efficiency in moving materials and patients) and money (less time and increased efficiency in transportation mean lower costs). Because of this reality, having intentional logistics use in place creates safe, efficient, reliable, and timely transportation of products and patients. Being late in delivery or transportation in the healthcare and medical world is simply not an option. Creating a logistics plan that works and is sustainable for your business is essential to have in place. This can save money. Time. Lives. 

Benefits of Investment

Investing in logistics partners is essential in today’s world of medicine and healthcare. The transparency and communication that logistics partners like Medi-Ops can offer do wonder for logistics and efficiency. Visibility through live-tracking technology, expansive networks, and multiple transportation options for every situation is positively essential for medical organizations. 

There is a lot to think about in terms of logistics. Investing in a logistics partner takes care of the hassle and stress that comes with making sure every aspect of supply chain management and patient care is included in solution development and considerations. Extra costs can be reduced when one logistics partner is helping coordinate everything and using the best networks and solutions possible for everyday logistics as well as specific situations that may arise. 

Medicine is unpredictable. There are always unexpected events and situations that pop up where new logistic solutions are needed. Utilizing logistics partners help to manage those situations, develop the best solutions in a timely manner, and create forward-thinking and innovative transportation and medical solutions. Logistics partners are also constantly reevaluating supply chain needs, patient transportation options, and new ideas on how to create alternative solutions in this industry. Using their expertise and knowledge can, again, save time, money, and lives.

Medi-Ops as Your Logistics Solution

Medi-Ops is an incredible option to meet your medical logistics and transportation needs. We serve you by removing hassle and stress alongside infusing medical transportation with visibility and logistic transparency. When needing medical transportation and solutions, our dispatch center connects you to a curated operator based on medical, geographic, and financial needs. Anyone using Medi-Ops is walked through all necessary processes and services and will meet a team that brings consistent, quality service every time. In addition to the 24/7 dispatch center and revolutionary software, clients are able to place orders, view tracking information, receive immediate quotes, and bill directly from Medi-Ops. 

Medi-Ops is different from other logistics partners in that decreased transportation costs are available due to the company-owned fleet of ground vehicles, emergency, lights and sirens medical transportation, an extensive network of transportation solutions, and an organization that serves clients at the highest level. We have all the resources necessary to create solutions from medical emergencies in rural communities to daily NEMT transportation.

Logistics in courier services include ground and air transportation options. Orders are climate-controlled and delivered time-sensitively through HIPPA-compliant and background-checked operators. Any type of medical courier transportation is covered through ground service (emergency and non-emergency) as well as air courier (next flight out, on board, fixed wing, and rotor aircraft) options. Medi-Ops doesn’t stop at courier services and offers extensive patient transportation services through ambulance, air medical, and NEMT transportation.

The technological innovation of Medi-Ops sets it apart from other logistics and transportation providers. Through the client portal and technological services, tracking and transparency in every transportation service are present and available for clients. An extensive network with partners in transportation services expands options for clients, offering optimal solutions for every transportation and logistic need.

Logistics Wrapped Up

Medi-Ops is a great solution to logistics and medical transportation needs. Every business, hospital, or medical center in this industry requires exceptional logistics plans and options in order to be successful and operate at the best level possible. Every client of Medi-Ops can rest assured that they are receiving the optimal solutions in both product and patient transportation logistics. The innovation and constant assessment required to create the best network of logistics in medicine and healthcare can be overwhelming. That’s why logistics partners are absolutely essential in cultivating sustainable and top-of-the-line medical services.

Medi-Ops Rotor Aircraft Operator
Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Courier Services, Flight Services

Rural Communities & Medical Logistics

One of the best things about Colorado is the mountains and remote locations that the state offers. Mountain communities are secluded and peaceful, making them the perfect places to reside or escape for a weekend. The thing about these rural communities is that access to them can be difficult. This not only impacts the traveler, but also the community’s needs for emergency transport. What does emergency transport look like for these communities? How do they operate and what are the solutions to get these rural hospitals what they need?

Rural hospitals are the backbones of the communities that surround them. With all of the wonderful things these hospitals do, transportation can be a struggle due to factors with location and accessibility. Even with hospitals that involve more difficult access, the need for blood product, specimens, and medical equipment doesn’t decrease! These hospitals still require the same urgent transportation of medical products that any other medical facility would. All those mountain towns mentioned above? Think about the factors that could go into shipments and transportation operations – weather, terrain, distance, urgency, and the list goes on. These are real challenges that communities face, and no one wants to deal with those maddening logistics!

These challenging factors create situations where driving and road transportation might not be the fastest, safest, or most efficient option for medical and urgent transportation. These communities are also decently far from blood banks, distribution centers, and important facilities such as these. One option that stands out as a solution is utilizing commercial aircraft, charter rotor aircraft, or fixed-wing aircraft. These transportation options help to meet the urgent needs of rural communities. 

Once a community decides to explore the option of aircraft transportation, ground transportation is still utilized in order to pick these shipments up from distribution centers or blood banks, bring the product to the airport, and then have another transport pick the product up when it lands and deliver it to the final destination. Managing insurance, TSA qualifications, contracts, and other logistics are important in this process as well to create the safest optimal environment for the product being transported. 

Transportation challenges. Aircraft options. Ground transport logistics. This is still quite a list of things to manage when requiring urgent transport. Thankfully, logistics partners such as Medi-Ops can step into the process and help to manage this transportation network in order to meet the needs of and best serve these communities. With Medi-Ops, these various logistics are all taken care of in creating and executing the optimal transportation plan. Through utilizing relationships with commercial aircraft, shipments can be added to these flights that have excess baggage space through Next Flight Out services. Medi-Ops also has partnerships with rotor aircraft and fixed-wing, creating accessibility to all. Instead of a rural hospital having to set up transportation to pick up a medical shipment, bring it to the airport, coordinate a separate transport to pick it up from the receiving airport, and bring it to the hospital, on top of managing their insurance, various qualifications from the TSA, contracts, and other legal and safety logistics, the rural hospital could just set the trip up with Medi-Ops, who will work alongside them to pick the best methods of transportation for the hospital and their product.

In 2020, Medi-Ops partnered with Heli-Ops to continue providing the best transportation possible. Rotor aircraft are essential in reaching remote areas quickly, as they can land almost anywhere and move at high speeds. These aircraft do have a shorter range than fixed-wing aircraft, making the relationships with both types essential when determining optimal transportation in any situation.

The utilization of these alternate services in transportation, for example, a mountain hospital that is out of blood product, can get the product there in two hours instead of the eight hours that it would take between driving through winter roads, terrain, and other barriers. Medi-Ops has established relationships with rotor aircraft carriers in addition to commercial airlines that create the ideal transportation situations for these rural communities.

Medical transportation, especially to and from rural hospitals and medical facilities, can entail an incredible number of hard-to-sort logistics. Involving logistics partners like Medi-Ops will help to create transportation networks that are of the highest safety, efficiency, and quality. Time is of the essence in transportation situations and Medi-Ops is able to eliminate unnecessary pains in the logistics process, so hospitals can focus on their operations without having to worry as much about transportation and whether or not they are going to have a product on time.

Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Courier Services, Hospitals

5 Advances in Medicine & Transportation Technology

Technological advances are commonplace in today’s world – something new is being discovered or developed every day, specifically within the world of medicine. In addition, there have been dreams of transportation innovation throughout history. Just take the Back To The Future movies with flying cars (predicted to be around in 2015…). The truth is, there aren’t publicly available flying cars yet (although they are in the works), but many interesting advancements within the transportation world create a promising future of continued advancement in this industry. Our ever-changing society brings discoveries in all aspects of every sector, including medical transportation. The medical field is one that is constantly shifting and evolving, with new innovative research and discoveries being made in relation to healthcare, transportation, and technology – here are 5 advances currently being seen within the medical and transportation fields.

  1. Healthcare Technology: The pandemic catalyzed a surge in technological healthcare advances. Telehealth visits became common and continue to advance. This additional service in healthcare creates a wider variety of accessibility and flexibility for patients. Remote patient monitoring is related to telehealth and also brings new technology to home care. In terms of healthcare, the future will most likely bring about different methods of secure data-sharing between providers. This hasn’t been achieved yet due to HIPPA compliance and personal data protection. However, the next decade will surely bring about new ways to securely and safely share data between providers in order for patients to avoid unnecessary medical costs, testing, and treatments. 
  1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): AI and ML methods are being explored in the healthcare world and will begin to construct utilization in preventative studies, predictive analytics, and early disease detection. Both AI and ML are providing greater insight into tracking technology and accuracy. The importance of tracking, specifically when transporting medical specimens and equipment, can’t go unnoticed. The continuation of technology in creating spot-on tracking systems is crucial in the medical and transportation fields.
  1. Autonomous Cars and Maglev Technology: While just emerging in the consumer market as seen in Teslas, autonomous cars already exist and continue to develop in both technology and reputation. The continued development of this technology could significantly increase productivity and safety in ground courier services for both emergency and non-emergency purposes. Patient transportation could play a role in this as well, however that won’t begin to take place until the technology is much farther along in its journey to standardized practices. 

The Hyperloop vision could redefine long-distance travel for public use and goods transportation. Think of the positive implications that could have on medical transportation! The speed with which medical couriers could transport equipment, specimens, products, and supplies could be cut in half with this kind of future technology. NEMT transportation could utilize this method of transport between cities as well. Of course, it will be a while before we see what that will look like for both public and private transportation, as the use of maglev train technology isn’t seen in the USA yet, but could be within the next decade.

  1. Aerial Technology: UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) technology continues to enhance transportation prospects as well. The future of aerial transportation in the medical field will be a game-changer in transporting life-saving medical supplies or specimens as safely and efficiently as possible. The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the capabilities of UAVs in contactless delivery and transport of medical supplies and equipment. UAVs have even been used to deliver vaccines and medications in places like Malawi, Scotland, and the Pacific Islands. There are infinite uses for UAV technology in medical care which will no doubt continue to be tested and integrated into the everyday logistics of the medical field.
  1. Medical Treatment Technology: Incredible and promising new medical technology continues to improve, saving countless lives and taking the industry to new heights. This includes virtual reality, precision medicine, and mental health technology. Trials and testing are constantly being done for new and emerging medical treatments. Technology plays a large role in experimentation and implementing new medical treatments. The advancement in this area creates new hopes and opportunities for patients and healthcare providers alike.

Looking towards the future at tech trends and developments is always eye-opening to the innovative world we live in. Constant improvement and new ideas, specifically within the medical and transportation fields, can be seen everywhere in universities, research facilities, healthcare establishments, and transportation services. New technological advances enhance services, products, and methods. The innovations mentioned will be interesting to keep an eye on as we look towards the future of medicine, transport, and how they intertwine.

medi-ops radiopharmaceuticals
Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Courier Services, Radiopharmaceuticals

Radiopharma & Transport Networks

This year brings a big happy birthday to the radiopharmaceutical industry – turning 69! The continuous development within this field brings innovative changes specifically in cancer drugs and transportation networks. The world of nuclear medicine is small in comparison to other medical specialties but is growing rapidly as light continues to be shed on the unbelievable feats that diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceuticals achieve. The effects and benefits of what nuclear medicine can do are truly undeniable. 

While the FDA began regulating radiopharmaceuticals as drugs in the 1970s, it would be a decade later that the exploration of oncological imaging and therapy use began in the 1980s. The next decade of the 90s brought further research and rapidly growing use of nuclear medicine (specifically in PET imaging). In this century, leaps and bounds in nuclear medicine have been made – from Time Magazine’s invention of the year as the PET/CT scan machine in 2000 to progressive FDA regulations and continued development in the industry, the best of nuclear medicine is yet to come.

With the extraordinary strides in medicine that radiopharmaceuticals have brought come many challenges – specifically in the safe transport of radiopharmaceuticals with time and radiation considerations. These forms of treatment are radioactive after all, which sounds scary, but really just means that transporting these products requires an extra level of attention and care than regular medical transport. 

The Radiopharmaceutical Industry

In the nuclear medicine world, radiopharmaceuticals can be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. While diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals contain less radiation than therapy radiopharmaceuticals, both are composed of radioisotopes. These diagnostic procedures within nuclear medicine allow closer, more detailed imaging of specific organs and parts of the body through gamma scans (A.K.A scintigraphy). Both dynamic and static images can be produced, creating optimal specificity in diagnosis. Discoveries of future uses of radiopharmaceuticals in oncology and cardiology prognosis continue to be unveiled. In addition, there is a constant stream of drug development and testing on projected uses of radiopharmaceuticals.

The production of radiopharmaceuticals requires handling large quantities of radioactive substances in addition to chemical processing. Because of this, processing facilities in compliance with manufacturing practices, quality assurance, and control systems are essential for safe production. These products require registration with relevant health authorities as well as careful radioactive material transport. 

Cancer Drugs

The incredible ability of radiopharmaceuticals to detect and treat tumor cells provides for the unearthing of new cancer treatments. Radiopharmaceutical therapy in cancer treatment allows radioactive substances to target specific diseased cells, delivering radiation directly to the tumor and affected area. In specific targeting of cancer cells through therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, side effects and harmful factors surrounding cancer treatments can be reduced. 

Transportation Networks

Now that we’ve had a refresher on the radiopharmaceutical industry and cancer drugs, let’s get into the interesting stuff. As always in medical transportation, there are imperative needs when moving products from one place to the other – Safety. Speed. Efficiency. Specifically with radiopharmaceuticals, complicated transportation networks are necessary to have in place to maintain the integrity of the product. 

Transportation processes of radioactive material are incredibly regulated. Radiopharmaceuticals are transported via Type A packaging, where extensive testing is done on the packages used to maintain and protect the product without releasing its contents. These tests are thorough! They include an hour of water spray, free fall testing onto a hard, flat surface, compression of five times the weight of the package, and penetration tests where heavy bars are dropped on the package from heights of over 3 feet. Once these packages prove themselves worthy after all of this testing, they are ready to serve their purpose in transporting these drugs all over the world. In addition to package regulations, a series of requirements for each mode of transportation (highway, rail, air, and water) are also in place through government transportation regulations.

While most radioactive materials aren’t allowed on commercial flights, radiopharmaceuticals are eligible for air carrier transportation. These products are volatile and require immediate transportation, qualifying for both ground and air transportation depending on the specific situation. Because radiopharmaceuticals have a short half-life, swift transportation efforts are imperative. Depending on the destination, a next flight out or air charter method of transport is typically preferred in these time-critical transportation cases. 

While nuclear medicine is still a relatively small field, the growth and development, particularly in radiopharmaceuticals, are skyrocketing. Transporting these products is an intricate process requiring the utmost level of safety and efficiency. With the right processes and procedures, radiopharmaceuticals are traveling around the world, changing lives and the world of medicine for the better.

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