A couple weeks ago, one of our drivers called dispatch because a client was anxious about getting home after a hospital discharge.
Not medically anxious. Just overwhelmed.
They had been sitting there for hours waiting to leave. Family members were calling for updates. The unit was busy. The client was tired, frustrated, hungry, and honestly probably a little embarrassed by the whole thing. Hospitals across Kingston and Eastern Ontario are under pressure right now. You can feel it the second you walk through the doors.
Our driver grabbed them a coffee and sat with them while paperwork got sorted out. Nobody told him to do that.
That interaction sums up this business better than any marketing campaign ever could.
Most people do not think about patient transportation until they really need it.
Then suddenly it matters a lot. It matters when someone needs to get to dialysis three times a week. It matters when a cancer appointment cannot be missed. It matters when a long-term care resident needs reliable transportation for a specialist visit. It matters when hospitals are trying to safely discharge patients and free up beds for the next person waiting in emergency.
When we started Hülpr in 2020 with one van, I honestly thought we were building a transportation company. Over time, I realized we were stepping into the middle of healthcare gaps that families, hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes, and community organizations are trying to navigate every single day.
Today, Hülpr helps more than 1,200 clients each month across Eastern Ontario. We work with hospitals, clinics, long-term care homes, retirement residences, Veterans Affairs, Indigenous Affairs, ODSP, the Smile Program, Ongwanada, Kingston Access Bus, and many others.
Some days are smooth and some days feel like organized chaos with weather delays, traffic, staffing shortages, last-minute discharges, and phones ringing non-stop and our team keeps showing up for people.
I think that is why the culture here has grown the way it has. A lot of our staff came from healthcare, emergency services, transportation, caregiving roles, or workplaces where they simply stopped feeling valued. They understand how stressful healthcare can feel when you are vulnerable, running late, uncomfortable, or unsure what is happening next.
So we built the kind of company we would want our own families using.
That means investing in safer vehicles, better equipment, ongoing training, fleet maintenance, and stronger communication systems. It also means building technology that helps connect dispatch, drivers, facilities, clients, and families in real time so people spend less time guessing, waiting, and chasing updates.
As we continue to grow, acquire operations, and expand services across the region, I still think the small human moments matter most. The driver who stays an extra few minutes. The dispatcher who answers calmly when someone is having a hard day. The team member who treats a client with dignity when they are at their lowest.
That is the real business we are in. The transportation just gets us there.
Tim O'Hara, RN, Founder & CEO , Hülpr Accessible Transportation & Qüinte Patient Transfer Service
Article published in the July 2026 issue of the digital magazine We Are Kingston - Read it here!