When I joined the MedMan team this past January, one of the interview questions Jim asked me was, “Are you comfortable flying on a small, 4-seater plane?”  I’ve always been pretty comfortable flying, so I said yes while wondering in the back of my mind exactly how small he meant.  Now, six months later, I’ve flown twice on Columbus (our nickname for the Columbia 400 we hire when needed) and I can say with confidence that it’s the only way to fly!

Besides feeling pretty cool walking out on the tarmac and boarding what is basically a small car with wings, Columbus is a strategic business decision for our company.  Understandably, many first reactions when we tell people about Columbus are a little incredulous.  I can see how some may view a small company like ours employing the services of a private plane as an extravagance, especially in this economy.  As a regional company, however, Columbus really enables us to meet the needs of our clients faster and more efficiently.  As a result, we get more work done.  And that means growth for our company.

As the recruiter for MedMan, part of my job is to conduct a site visit near the beginning of our recruitment process.  Usually, I am accompanied by other members of our team who are providing additional services, which means the cost is spread out among multiple people who would’ve otherwise purchased commercial flights individually.

On our way to our destination, we have the ability to review key objectives of the visit or catch up on other businesses.  Many of our clinics are in rural communities, so landing right in the town we are visiting cuts down on overall travel time, allowing us to spend more time at the practice.  The ability to fly back to Boise after a day of hard work eliminates the need for luggage, hotel rooms, or the cost of additional meals.   Multiply all of that by three team members, and you can clearly being to see the advantage of employing Columbus.

It doesn’t always make sense to fly Columbus when we’re responding to clients’ needs.  Driving, flying commercially, or meeting virtually via our web teleconferencing system are all other ways in which we connect with clients when it makes more sense.  As a Northwest company, our ability to respond to clients from Port Angeles to Rexburg in the same week – quickly – is reassuring for both clinic leadership and staff and reinforces our commitment and dedication to their practice.