Founder Erica Plybeah responded to an inconvenience with an innovative solution that improves the quality of life for patients needing medical transport.
Established in 2017, she launched MedHaul to provide safe and reliable non-emergency medical transportation to individuals, regardless of their needs, per her LinkedIn. The company was inspired by her personal challenges in finding dependable transportation for her grandmother’s medical appointments in Memphis, TN, according to its website. Her grandmother has type-2 diabetes with a double-leg amputation.
Living in an underserved area also limited access to transportation, and Plybeah wanted to lower this barrier for others, which motivated her to establish MedHaul, a company that works alongside healthcare facilities, research facilities, and community organizations to ensure people have access to medical transportation. Its technology is also helpful for healthcare providers to book medical transportation appointments that can accomodate patients with specific needs, including a wheelchair, stretcher, and door-through-door transport. As a result, the percentage of patients arriving punctually for their appointments has increased from 40% to 92%, mentions Shoppe Black.
“Our mission is to innovate access and improve the quality of care in our most vulnerable communities,” a statement on the company website read. “For people with reduced mobility due to age, ability, and income, having access to transportation makes a huge difference to quality of life. MedHaul closes the transportation gap and provides compassionate solutions for the people who need them most.”
MedHaul has received nearly $7 million in funding since its inception with support from Citi Ventures, Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab, Google for Startups, and InvestTN’s $36 million Growth Fund (a program by LaunchTN). The Growth Fund contributes an investment between $250,000 and $3 million to each company it supports, according to The Business Journals.
“We’ve known Erica for a number of years,” Eller Kelliher, LaunchTN’s chief investment officer, said per the outlet. “When she applied, we flagged her application. She had submitted a really strong application. She was able to secure the required one-to-one match from private investors, which made her, again, a great candidate for the program.”
MedHaul intends to use its funding to expand to other areas of the United States with a focus on underserved communities.
