iPMI Magazine Speaks With Mario Fernsebner, General Manager, Green Cross Zell am See Austria

Please introduce yourself and your background in the Medical Transportation industry:

My name is Mario Fernsebner I´m the General Manager of Green Cross Zell am See Austria. Green Cross was founded in 1990 as a family company. It was very difficult to establish a private emergency company in Austria because people thought that only state ambulance companies could be the only provider. The years went by and we lost more and more market share and business. In 2006 I decided to find a solution to push Green Cross to a high quality company or otherwise find a job. The solution was to go to the international assistance and insurance companies to offer quality driven ground ambulance medical transportation’s. The demand was great and we changed and developed from a small company to a private specialist with 15 vehicles and assistance services for many clients all over the world.

The solution provides a flexible service driven by high quality and we made things possible only other Austrian companies dreamt of. Now we are working for more than 20 Assistance companies from all over the world including Austria, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Russia, Slovakia , Lithuania, ,Ukraine, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. The big difference between private and state providers of ground ambulance services include quality, flexibility and availability . If insurance companies need a emergency ground ambulance and assistance provider, we are the one with the best service, and we always strive to build long standing relationships  based on the high quality of services our company offers.

If it´s possible to drive, we have been in every country in the world by ambulance. So we have a lot of important experience in ground ambulance services abroad, but also information about foreign countries, cultural differences, travel regulations, visa requirements and healthcare systems. Our Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics and EMP Technicians will help you navigate and access healthcare abroad, 24/7 365 days a year. As I was growing up with this business since I´m a child and I really know about assistance and international ground ambulance Services, I know how important quality driven services are in this job. We will give more than 100% for every partner that every client and patient will be satisfied on both ends. The most important thing to have inside is that a patient transport is not only a transport. It´s much more. It´s the responsibility for and to save life, and everyone in this business should live it.

 

Generally speaking, who are your clients?

Our clients are travel and medical assistance companies from all over the world, who need medical and travel assistance, medical transportation and ground ambulance services, and help in organizing house calls. We provide international ground ambulance services and medical transportation solutions abroad, in Austria and around Austria.

We are specialists in long distance medical transportation’s and own our own fleet. We go to Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Croatia and Ex- Yugoslavian countries. This means we go to every country to pick up insured people to bring them back to their home country so it doesn’t matter in which country they are.

Can you talk us through your ground ambulance fleet?

We have a fleet of 15 vehicles. We are able to conduct medical transportation and ground ambulance services from normal sitting by taxi, to intensive medical care patient by ICU Ambulance.

What features and benefits can your ground ambulance company deliver to an overseas insurance or assistance company?

We are a flexible, powerful ground ambulance provider with a quick reaction time and always fully up-to-date with the newest medical standards, fleet and technology . We are available 24/7 365 days a year via e-mail, fax or phone.

Which Geographic locations can your Ground ambulance fleet realistically cover?

Austria, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Russia, Slovakia , Lithuania, ,Ukraine, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Germany.

What is important when conducting Ground Ambulance medical transportation?

Organization from beginning to the end. It´s very important to have a good and detailed conversation with the client, to let them know about every aspect of the medical transportation. A lot of clients and their loved ones maybe nervous before a repatriation, and may have suffered stress and concern as a result of the situation. We educate clients and their family and keep them fully up-to-speed minute-by-minute. For us it´s very important to have the Hospital contact before, to receive medical information. New vehicles, full and up-to-date equipment, special equipment for transportation’s abroad, and trained stuff are also crucial. After 4 years our ambulance fleet will not go anywhere, without first been sure about having no issues when on the road. It´s a part of quality and the way we manage our standardization's and quality management.

How do you measure the quality of ground ambulance transportation services?

Managing quality and standards day-by-day helps us educate insurance and assistance companies that have questions about how our ground ambulance and medical transportation work. It´s very important to have a monthly course of instruction. Its very important to start before the high season and continue with ongoing evaluation and discussion . We control our vehicle quality management every day, checking Cleanliness, Equipment and Operations. Every ambulance is checked by our qualified staff and team before any mission.

What issues are Ground ambulance companies currently facing?

Every ground ambulance and medical transportation company is different regarding quality. From our side we can say the we have a very high level of care and services, because the patient always comes first.

In 5 years time, how will the ground ambulance medical transportation business look?

More regional and local ambulance providers will look to the international markets. The market in Europe is part private and part state. We private ambulance companies are very well established in the market because of the high quality we provide. I know that we will develop more and more in international ground ambulance and assistance services because of the flexible, powerful and high quality of service we offer. As the world shrinks due to Globalization, Consumerism and Low Cost Airfares, more and more people will travel for business, leisure or medical reasons.

Last but not least, if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I love going on holiday in different places but I like to live in Zell am See, Austria, because it is truly one of the beautiful places on earth.

iPMI Magazine Speaks With Mario Fernsebner, General Manager, Green Cross Zell am See Austria

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Company:Grünes Kreuz Rettungsdienst Verein f. Kranken u.- Notfalltransporte

Address: Kaprunerstraße 7 A-5700 Zell am See, Austria

Phone: +43 (0) 6542 57966 24/7

Fax: +43 (0) 6542 57966 – 6 24/7

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Web: www.krankentransporte.at