Howdy driver and welcome back. I once worked with a crew that welcomed drivers back every time. Cool stuff. What’s also cool, is the ever growing number in my run count, things are seriously hopping out there! When the season is in full swing, the variety of locations really picks up! Sometimes it’s strange places, other times exciting places. And then sometimes it’s all about delivering to the white coat crew.
Or delivering to hospitals. Delivering cargo to hospitals. Picking where to begin with this one is tricky. There’s several different scenarios that come into play when making these types of deliveries. Particularly, when searching for a department that isn’t otherwise accessible by the general public. Then there was covid and things got weird, but oddly more simple.
Hospitals can be very large, and contain many elevators. Some have an untold number of hallways that lead to more hallways. All along these hallways there can be many different types of departments, and even more hallways with patient rooms. There are hallways that lead to surgical departments, radiation departments(x-ray) and emergency departments. And let’s not forget this repeats on every floor.
That’s after finding parking, which can be a difficult process, depending on the time of day, and the size of the hospital. Professional best practice- never park in patient unloading or loading zones. Once parking is secured, it’s time to stretch those legs. Having some familiarity with the hospital, will help in securing parking that is as close as possible to the department or room drop off.
(Pro tip: For hospitals with valet parking, working out an arrangement with the valet for a close spot to stash your ride, saves valuable time. )
Often times, there will be areas of the hospital that are inaccessible by the general public. These are “authorized personnel only” areas. There’s usually medical staff that can help open these doors, or find someone who can assist with accessing these areas. Many times these friendly people know the delivery recipient as a colleague or work associate.
(This was a typical hospital delivery before 2020, and the pandemic.)
Almost all of that changed as the pandemic unfolded and restrictions were put in place, to protect against the spread of the virus. No deliveries were going past those front doors in the hands of anyone other than medical staff. Arrangements were made ahead of time, to leave the cargo somewhere or with someone, at the main entry or the E.R. Oddly simple.
In the rare event that access was granted, there were the questions and tests to scan for covid, and the mandates for personal protective equipment had to be strictly observed. Still do in some areas. Yes, pandemic deliveries to hospitals, were much improved and simplified because of the rules. But, even that, was then.
It’s becoming more and more common for hospital deliveries to be completed as they once were, before the ‘p’ word. Finding the person in the department, or the patient in the room, or the needle in the haystack. Getting ‘lost’ inside a hospital, consumes a lot of time. Having really detailed directions, wins the day every time.
(Pro tip: Ask for directions.)
Some hospitals use helpful signs to direct people to various departments. Other hospitals use lines on the floor made of different colors. Follow a line of particular color to the department needed, and you’re all set. Eventually an area with no signage or lines or markings of any kind, will be encountered. This is a great time to go pro, and ask for directions.
It’s all about getting in and out of the hospital as fast as possible. That’s never a bad thing. Unless you dig hospital cafeteria food. And I do, but we got to make that drop off and roll out. Pedal to the metal driver, figuratively, of course. Zoom zoom.
