Advancing Healthcare with Tech-Driven Transportation Services

Chris Thompson is a leader in the logistics space with vast experience in providing simplified strategic solutions to intricate business problems. He is skilled at developing strong business relationships into mutually beneficial solutions. His customer-focused tactics and solutions have resulted in increased customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and profits.

In an interview with the editorial team at Healthcare Business Review Canada, Chris sheds light on some of the current challenges prevailing in the medical transportation industry and how organizations can convert them into opportunities.

What are some of your current roles and responsibilities at Dynacare?

As the director of national logistics at Dynacare, I supervise my team’s movement of specimens and samples to and from our collection centers and core labs. We also provide transportation services for healthcare equipment like beds, ventilators, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, etc., for numerous hospital networks across the country. We have a dedicated team of almost 500 couriers across British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, providing white-glove round-the-clock patient services. The courier team at Dynacare is integral in the healthcare space and the flow of goods and services for patient care.

With the surge in demand for non-emergency medical transportation services in Canada, what changes have you witnessed in the industry in recent times?

One significant transformation is the improvement of access to healthcare services, especially for patients who are unable to travel to medical facilities due to health-related or financial issues. We are playing a significant role in increasing accessibility to healthcare and implementing procedures like decentralized collection, where samples are collected at the patient’s doorstep, and results are delivered to them electronically.

Advancements like on-demand transportation services and ride-sharing have improved the speed and efficiency of delivery services. Companies like Lyft have been transporting people to and from appointments. This has helped overcome the fear of public transportation caused by the pandemic. The emergence of ride-sharing services ensures patients receive prompt and adequate medical attention during urgent situations.

Temperature monitoring is another aspect that has become increasingly popular, which is critical when it comes to the safe transportation of sensitive medical specimens and pharmaceuticals. Temperature rendering technology provides constant visibility of the temperatures of specimens, samples, and pharmaceuticals, ensuring that regulatory requirements are maintained, and risk to the patient is eliminated.  

The high cost of transportation hampers patients' access to healthcare. What steps has the medical transportation services industry taken to overcome this challenge?

We are experimenting with methods to be more productive within our cost structure while providing excellent service for our clients and customers. My current role involves route optimization, through which we can identify the best travel routes for vehicles present on the road. It has helped reduce our journey time and expense to the client, enabling us to travel more efficiently from one point to another.

By deploying hybrid electric vehicles, we have been able to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions, furthering our sustainability initiatives. These actions have helped improve the overall patient experience. Clients also prefer to partner with organizations that prioritize sustainability and have a clear focus on ESG.

What are some of the latest innovations helping healthcare facilities enhance their services and ensure the well-being of patients?

Drone technology is being leveraged in the transportation of vaccines, medications, and diagnostic equipment to remote areas, significantly shortening delivery time and reducing transportation costs. The Republic of Rwanda is one such place to have utilized it. Other developing nations are also looking to implement it on a large scale. Machine learning through AI is becoming increasingly common in the medical transportation industry. It helps analyze and store data on past transportation routes, weather patterns, and traffic conditions. Based on the information obtained, we are able to generate predictive models that optimize delivery routes. This technology reduces our travel time and meets our clients and customers’ expectations.  

How has your experience helped you navigate the medical transportation service landscape?

Prior to joining Dynacare, I spent 25 years at FedEx, which provided me with a solid foundation and insights into the needs of patients and clients who require healthcare-related transportation services. Working closely with these individuals and organizations provided a first-hand view of the critical role transportation plays in patient care. My time at Dynacare has only underscored the importance of providing the best possible service at all times. Our work at Dynacare during the pandemic and the way in which we were able to respond quickly to the changing needs and demands of our customers represented our role and commitment to patient care across the country.

What would be your advice to other senior leaders working in the medical transportation service segment?

Understanding the client’s needs and placing them at the center of everything you deliver is essential. It helps develop innovative solutions and provide customers with the best experience possible. Strive to create a positive employee environment with ongoing training, development, and engagement programs. From a leadership perspective, I empower my team to make decisions and try things that haven’t been tested to deliver better solutions in the future. Embracing technology and keeping up with the latest trends enables leaders to stay ahead of the game and navigate the challenges in the medical transportation arena.