Mona Jafar needed a lift home after an outpatient medical procedure.
Instead of trying to reach one of several established paratransit services in the Lehigh Valley, the Allentown woman used the husband-and-wife-nursing team who formed Heartline Transport LLC.
Jose Peguero and Suaha Sharif have watched as residents at senior care facilities where they work often have difficulty getting to medical appointments or procedures.
“At my job,” Sharif said, “they offer transportation, but it ends at 2 p.m., so anything after that [residents] have to find an outside company.”
The Bethlehem couple researched the need for nonemergency medical transportation, filed an application for paratransit service with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, and opened the business several months ago.
The couple gave a tour of one of their two minivans, both of which are equipped with specialized ramps for wheelchair clients. Besides medical trips, Heartline offers rides for people on errands, meetings or other needs. The service is available 24 hours a day throughout the Valley.