Patient Transportation Is an Operational Risk — Healthcare Leaders Must Act Now

Patient transportation is no longer an ancillary service—it is a core operational function that directly affects patient outcomes, discharge efficiency, staff capacity, and financial performance. As care shifts toward shorter hospital stays, outpatient treatment, and value-based models, non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) has become a decisive factor in appointment compliance, readmissions, and patient experience.

This reality is especially pressing in St. Louis, where the share of aging adults exceeds the national average. Older populations drive higher utilization and more complex transitions of care, exposing the weaknesses of fragmented, lowest-bid transport models—delayed discharges, missed follow-ups, and strained care teams among them.

“Transportation isn’t a fringe service,” warns Stephen Newman, President of 360 Quality Care + Transport Services. “It’s a strategic extension of care delivery. Hospitals and health systems that continue to treat transportation as a logistical afterthought are the ones most likely to miss key outcome measures, delay discharges, and strain already limited capacity. Choosing the right transportation partner is no longer optional — it’s essential to efficient, patient-centered care.”

Healthcare leaders must ask a harder question: Is our transportation provider aligned with our clinical and operational goals—or simply filling rides? Strategic partners integrate with care teams, understand discharge planning, scale with demand, and protect patient dignity—reducing administrative burden while strengthening continuity of care.

The window to act is narrowing. Transportation is no longer ancillary. It is healthcare infrastructure—and it must be treated accordingly.