Military retiree finds satisfaction in medical transport biz

By Mary Worrell

Inside Business staff writer

Darwin Byrd is a retired military medic. After his 26-year military career, he went to work at a local clinic and saw a disturbing trend among many of the medical transportation companies.

“Some of them try to pack people into vans like cattle,” Byrd said. “When you’re sick, you don’t want to be crammed in a van next to people sneezing.”

The case that had the most impact on Byrd was an elderly woman who came to the clinic for an appointment at 10 a.m. She was done in less than an hour, but was still waiting for the medical transport company to pick her up at 3 p.m. that day, Byrd said.

She ended up going into a diabetic coma, most likely because she hadn’t eaten or taken medicine in the hours she was waiting, Byrd said.

Byrd thought he could do a better job, so in September 2007 he started Accent Transport Services Inc., a private medical transport company based in Chesapeake. He launched the business with his wife Tribion and their best friends, Earl and Linda Henderson.

Three of the company’s four executives come from military backgrounds, which is an advantage, Byrd said.

“You learn compassion,” he said. “A happy patient goes a long way toward recovery.”

Byrd, a California native, made a conscious decision to keep the company private and not to contract with larger companies or insurance companies.

“It allows us some freedom,” he said. “Some clients can’t afford our services, but [being independent] allows us to give trips for free.”          

Byrd said the company sometimes gives discounts to patients who can’t afford the service, or arranges payment plans with them. The company also gave free rides in the beginning to get used to working with elderly and sick patients.

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