# Should I buy this Bariatric Transportation Business?



## Thirdact (Apr 29, 2012)

I have an opportunity to purchase a small bariatric ramp and winch business and have found this site to be extremely helpful. Could I ask please for some input on the following?

Is there a growing need for tools like these to address this growing bariatric problem?

Will the Stryker Power Load System, with their market clout (even with large price gap!) put me out of business in let's say 2-4 years?

Is there anyone else (Ferno) looking at entering this market? 

Thank you in advance for your input, I'm trying to make an intelligent decision and not lose my shirt.


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## RocketMedic (Apr 29, 2012)

I reckon it depends on your product. Retrofitting a lot of ambulances cheaply would be a massive growth market IF you could do it competitively.


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## hibiti87 (Apr 29, 2012)

i think the issue you need to really address is insurance. What i hear from the billing people in my company located in california, bari calls are kind of a sink hole for money. The main problem with bari patients is that you will normally have to have 2 crews working the transport for the at scene and at destination portion. If its transport from hospital to other facility staff is not allowed to help due to liability issues in use of equipment as they will not be probably trained on it. Also please correct me if im wrong, but mediCal/medicare only pay one flat rate for BLS transport which bari calls can be considered to be under in certain situations.


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## bigbaldguy (Apr 29, 2012)

I'm not an expert in EMS, far from it but let's face it. Two things are guaranteed with our patients. They will be getting older and they will be getting bigger so I would think this is going to be a growth area. The problem is with this kind of business it's all about timing. Jump in too soon and you starve to death jump in too late and there's too much competition. Business is business, apply the same rules to this opportunity as you would to any business opportunity and see if the numbers crunch. Good luck.


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## exodus (Apr 29, 2012)

I actually have an idea of a bariatric loading ramp that is completely self contained and requires absolutely no retrofitting. (Well, no drilling or modifying anything)


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## EpiEMS (Apr 29, 2012)

bigbaldguy said:


> They will be getting older and they will be getting bigger so I would think this is going to be a growth area.



*rimshot*

:rofl:

Depends on the regional demand. I'd wager you'd be one of the few folks who can offer that service, so, assuming that, the potential for income is based on billing potential, ability to keep other people out (i.e. if the equipment itself is cost-prohibitive), and the need in your area. If you can do the work of two crews with one, you may have a competitive advantage.


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## Thirdact (Apr 30, 2012)

The business already exists and makes money. The issue is can I maintain the existing business and grow it enough to offset what it costs me in addition to buy it?

 Advertising is very expensive, how would I reach the person who makes the decision on this type of purchase? 

Who is the person across the 15,000 organizations that provide ambulance service in the USA that make that decision?

What is the quickest and cheapest way to let them know that I can easily,  safely and in a cost effective way solve the problem of those last 12-24 inches into the Bus?


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## EMTSTUDENT25 (Apr 30, 2012)

My former boss ran a non emergency transport company.  Let me say that most of the calls we had were for overweight people and some def qualified for bariatric equipment.  It seemed like Christmas day when we would get a 100 lb patient...With that being said there is def a market for that business.  Research the area your in.  Are there any other companies offering what you are, if so, what are they charging?  How big is this business you at thinking about purchasing?  

If your asking about marketing here's a possible solution...if your business is going to target hospital discharges then you have to make yourself and your services known to each hospital's case management dept. They can make or break your transport business.  Thosr are the people that call to set up transportation and they usually use who they are familiar with and who can get there at the time THEY want.  I've known transport company owners to set up little presentations with lunch provided to show what they have to offer...


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## NomadicMedic (Apr 30, 2012)

The OP is not looking at buying an ambulance service. He is interested in buying a business that supplies transport companies with a bariatric winch/ramp system.


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## EMTSTUDENT25 (Apr 30, 2012)

woops, gotcha...Misunderstood.


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## exodus (Apr 30, 2012)

Look at the numbers, how much have they sold? What are your profit margins? 

Bariatrics aren't going away, you will constantly have that market and every transport service wants in. What you need to do is make something cost effective for them.


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## Ewok Jerky (May 2, 2012)

One thing about stryker is their customer service.  Full disclosure: I am just a plebe and I don't know how much money my company gives to stryker (but I know its a lot). Full disclosre continuation: I only have experience with stryker.

We have a large amount of stryker gear, so I.don't know if we get preferred treatment but... we have a rep from stryker on speed dial. Beforewe upgrafed to power gurneys, we were given 5 to try out and play with. When we did finally upgrade, a stryker rep was in-house providing training on the new system. From time to time I see him in the admin building just chatting it up.

OP-  in this business things break, or get broken.  What you do to help get my out of service piece of equipment back in service quickly could meen the diffetence between a large purchase order and no purchase order.


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## ENK6 (May 8, 2012)

I have used both the Ferno and Stryker systems for bariatric patients. They help when it comes to loading a patient on to the stretcher and adjusting the transport height, but they can make loading into the vehicle more difficult. It can also be dangerous I have had one too many close calls with a two man crew, bariatric patient, and a automatic stretcher. There is a high demand (at least for field staff) for ramps/lifts for ambulances. The added weight of the power cot can make it more difficult loading it into the truck especially if its a two man crew. I highly recommend looking deeper into the purchase into such a company. The cost benefit of loading a bariatric patient into a truck with a two man crew w/o the fear of injury would be a good selling point. The demand is there, but the price is going to have to be right for company's to buy into such a product. Especially with medicare/medicaid skimping on paying what company's are trying to bill for.


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## mycrofft (May 9, 2012)

Market it for use on ALL patients. Prehospital EMS workers injure or re-injure their backs all the time with "normal" patients. Take one company, track their pre and post purchase payouts for back injuries compensation and lost days coverage, and use that as your marketing.

Consider making it "bedside to bedside"; add smaller items like transfer slings, slide boards, etc? IS there a portable Hoyer lift-like device which could be brought into homes and hospital rooms to make that awkward and dangerous transition that claims so many?


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## Jon (May 11, 2012)

As great as Stryker's "Power Load" system is - their bariatric cots AREN'T powered at all, so they wouldn't really work with that system. Might they head in that direction in a few years? Probably. But winches and ramps will still likely carry a higher weight load than the fancy system, and that sort of system is designed with EVERYONE's safety in mind.

I concur with BigBaldGuy in the, um, growth potential of this niche business.


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## shfd739 (May 11, 2012)

Jon said:


> As great as Stryker's "Power Load" system is - their bariatric cots AREN'T powered at all, so they wouldn't really work with that system. Might they head in that direction in a few years? Probably. But winches and ramps will still likely carry a higher weight load than the fancy system, and that sort of system is designed with EVERYONE's safety in mind.
> 
> I concur with BigBaldGuy in the, um, growth potential of this niche business.



Per a Stryker rep building powered Bari stretchers is something they are looking at but the demand isn't high enough to make it a pressing project. They are full up with regular power stretcher and the power load system to keep them busy for awhile and the Bari stuff being powered just doesn't have the market demand. That means their Bari stretcher will be manual for a long time. 

This also means ramps and winches to load/unload. We have one and it is awesome. I'd like to see ramps that are more easily deployed/stowed. I'm pretty happy with our winches now that we use synthetic winch rope instead of steel wire rope.


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