A clean, comfortable life
ACC Transportation provides non-emergency medical transportation
By Scott Thoma
After being employed in a senior living facility a number of years ago, Eric Labraaten of Hutchinson felt a need to make life less stressful for elderly and disabled individuals to be transported for medical appointments.
After serving his country in the United States Marine Corps, Eric Labraaten decided to go to college and earn his degree in business administration. While earning his degree, Roz Ewald, owner of Cedar Crest Estates, offered him the position of managing her Cosmos facility. This opportunity is what led to him discovering the need for a medical transportation company in the Hutchinson area.
Starting out with just one van at his home in Hutchinson in April of 2012, Labraaten’s ACC Midwest Transportation today consists of more than 75 employees that now work full or part-time for ACC Midwest Transportation or Labraaten Bus Company. That includes seven office workers and around 70 drivers.
ACC Midwest and Labraaten Bus Company has a fleet of 60 Special Transportation Wheelchair-accessible vans, as well as 12 oversized vans and six school buses to transport students in Hutchinson and the surrounding community.
ACC’s name is derived from the first initial of each of Labraaten’s three children; Alexa, Carter and Carson.
ACC Midwest Transportation provides non-emergency medical transportation in central and north-central Minnesota. It serves the counties of Brown, Carver, Crow River, Kandiyohi, LeSueur, McLeod, Meeker, Morrison, Nicollet, Redwood, Renville, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Stevens, Todd and Wright.
“We will take an individual anywhere they need to go for an appointment,” said Labraaten, who is also the CEO of ACC Midwest Transportation.
Many individuals that ride and pay for public transportation may qualify with insurance companies to ride with ACC Midwest Transportation.
“Insurance will often cover 100 percent of their medical transportation needs, such as trips to the doctor, chiropractor, dentist, physical therapy, eye doctor, or other medical needs,” LaBraaten said.
ACC Midwest Transportation is a Certified Special Transportation Provider designed to transport individuals from their residence, senior living facility or any other location, to their scheduled appointment.
“We are very happy with the ACC staff and drivers are always willing to help our disabled little girl’s needs. She always comes home with a smile,” said Dustin T.
“Customer service is superior compared to other companies. Sincere concern for all clients. ACC Midwest Transportation has very open availability,” said Daniel I.
ACC Midwest Transportation, which was formerly located in the Hutchinson city limits, moved to a larger facility six miles north of Hutchinson five years ago to accommodate the growing need of medical transportation. Labraaten announced that he is currently building a new facility in Hutchinson, and is proud to be moving his company back to the city of Hutchinson.
“Miles Seppelt and the City of Hutchinson have done a great job bringing businesses to Hutchinson and they’re a big reason we are moving back to town” said Labraaten.
“We serve the surrounding towns of Hutchinson, Glencoe, Dassel, Litchfield, Gaylord and Winsted, as well as the Brainerd, Little Falls, Willmar, Marshall and Redwood Falls,” said Brianna Schornack, ACC Midwest Transportation and Labraaten Bus Company manager. “We also continue to expand and grow and we also have a fleet of 20 drivers in Brainerd/Little Falls, six in Willmar and six in the Redwood Falls/Marshall area. We are also willing to travel for our clients. We bring clients to the Twin Cities, St. Cloud and western Minnesota on a daily basis.”
Labraaten wants his clients to feel safe and comfortable and stresses that his drivers understand the importance of treating those clients with courtesy and respect.
“That has always been a huge thing for me,” Labraaten said. “Going to a medical appointment is stressful enough and we want our riders to know we care about them.”
The company also strongly encourages their drivers to maintain cleanliness of each vehicle they are transporting people in.
“First impressions are of our vehicles, and therefore, we like to keep them washed, vacuumed and sanitized regularly,” said Schornack. “We sanitize our vehicles after a client and students have been in them. We also transport COVID-positive clients if we know ahead of transport. We have vans that are equipped with a divider for added protection. Our clients’ safety is first, and we transport them as we would transport our own family.”
Drivers also try to get to know the clients they are transporting during their travels together.
“Our drivers are sometimes the highlight to a client’s day,” Schornack said. “Many of our clients aren’t able to get out often, and when they do, they like to make the most of it. I like to communicate to the drivers that our clients need someone to talk to and for someone to listen to them.”
ACC Midwest Transportation drivers are all trained in first aid, passenger assistance and defensive driving. They are also required to be up to date on HIPPA regulations and be in accordance with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) rules and regulations. Labraaten started his own training company to train his drivers as well as other STS drivers who work for his competition.
“We found that the training being provided by other companies was inadequate and something needed to be done about it,” he said. “Proper training is the key to providing a safe ride as well dealing with an emergency that may happen during transport.”
Many of ACC’s employees have been with the company for more than 12 years. “I credit my staff as the reason for all of ACC’s success,” said Labraaten. “They work hard and they are all very dedicated.”
ACC Midwest Transportation, whose motto is “Transportation You Can Trust,” is currently open from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to noon on Saturday, and by appointment only on Sunday. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
For more information or to make an appointment for transportation, call 320-4455-9200, or email accmidwest@gmail.com. Also visit them at www.accmidwest.com or on Facebook.
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