Jane Gonzalez

Jane Gonzalez is no ordinary woman.

Resonating from the San Antonio native is the strong demeanor of a compassionate woman who sets no boundaries, only opportunities for her life and the lives of countless others. As founder of MEDwheels, Jane says it’s not simply a company to her, it’s a mission. She sets the stage as a leader, visionary, pioneer and political activist to provide patients who are under medical distress, off ering all the same conveniences and care a hospital provides in the comfort of their own homes and surroundings.

Jane’s goals are to help bring any necessary voice to our community when seniors are abused or the underprivileged are neglected. Her goals for MEDwheels include serving the local community and making a difference regarding healthcare issues and small business concerns.

A Pioneer Effort

After graduating from Our Lady of the Lake University, Jane moved to Houston, and in the early 1980’s, relocated to the East Coast where for the last seven years before starting MEDwheels, she was involved in the defense industry. Jane served as General Manager and built network protectors for the military. The idea to switch career paths took its turn two years ago when Jane’s brother, Roland, proposed the idea to form a medical home care company. Jane admits it was a huge leap, considering she’d been away from her hometown for twenty years. “San Antonio is a terrific city and I wanted to do it,” she explains. In June 2005, MEDwheels opened its doors to the community. Today, Roland functions as Director of Operations. His wife, Yvonne, controls billing and followups, and Ralph, Jane’s eldest brother will soon relocate from the West Coast to join the family business. Ralph brings 25 years of healthcare experience and is well versed in this everchanging healthcare environment, while Jane maintains her roots as both the company’s pioneer and healthcare advocate for her patients.

“Nobody does it as good as we do,” says Jane. As a family-owned business, run by an assertive individual who is fueled by passion and who some might even label a bit of a spitfire, Jane consistently stands amongst the public advocating for change within the medical community and political canvas in order to raise a powerful voice for those who are less able to do so for themselves.

Creating Change

In the political chaos of healthcare; the culprit of insurance inequities and regulations is an on-going battle between medical providers and those with limited resources. Where does one gain access to medical care that is not entangled in the strife between political power and fair governance? Among all the political dialogue, who will stand up to represent the voice of the people? They say it takes one person to make a difference, to lead an army to victory. Jane is one such person. She engages in continual political advocacy for the patient, negotiating with doctors, politicians, and insurance providers to ensure the patient is properly provided for. “My goal is to increase political awareness by voice of the community.” Her obvious greatest challenge lies in the turmoil of the DME (Durable Medical Equipment) industry. Unfortunately, in the midst of undergoing the challenges associated with health insurance, the DME is in a constant state of influx as regulations increase and services are on the decline, causing many companies to go bankrupt. However, Jane and her team insist they understand the regulatory changes that will affect the industry and have strategic plans to circumvent those challenges. “We’re here for the community,” she advocates. “We’ll do whatever it takes to stay here and serve San Antonio.”

A New Endeavor

Starting September 2007, home healthcare will be an additional service MEDwheels provides. MEDwheels is currently set up to create a functional living environment for those under medical care. However, with the new expansion, MEDwheels will now be a one-stop home care company. “You don’t want to have patients deal with multiple faces for multiple providers. We’ll provide everything to service our patients under one umbrella,” she says. “MEDwheels will stand behind that service.”

MEDwheels receives referrals predominantly from the strong relationships it maintains with doctors, health agencies, specialty medical groups and patients who gladly refer family and friends. “The relationships I build are longterm,” she says. It can be as simple as calling a patient to ask how they are doing that distinguishes MEDwheels as a customer focused company rather than a fly by night service. “I don’t like services in a vacuum,” she stresses. “Everyone has to be engaged in the dialogue.”

In the next year or so, MEDwheels plans to take the company national. “We want to have a real impact in this community and all over the country,” she says enthusiastically. “During their most difficult times, our priority is to bring a sense of freedom and even a little joy into our patient’s everyday lives.”

MEDwheels is dedicated to providing leading CPR and AED equipment to those who need them. Heart safety has never been more important than it is today and having the knowledge and equipment necessary to save a life can make all the difference in an emergency situation. The best way to gain the knowledge you need in order to be prepared in a life or death situation is to attend AHA CPR classes which are offered through the CPR Training Center. AHA CPR courses teach individuals everything they need to know when it comes to CPR training and AED training.

CPR is the process of using compression and breathing techniques in order to resuscitate someone who has stopped breathing. This can be extremely useful around large bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, or pools. Drowning is a major cause of death in the United States and other countries even though many of these fatalities could have been prevented if those on the scene had proper CPR training and were prepared to take the action necessary. This knowledge is also vital when there will be a large number of people gathered on a regular basis. The occurrence of sudden cardiac arrest is increasing and can be fatal if the proper action is not taken. CPR and AED training can help you be prepared to prolong the time in which medical professionals can help a victim.

AED Training is also important in the occurrence of sudden cardiac arrest. Someone trained in proper AED use is able to use the machine to help restart a victim’s heart through the use of a measured electrical impulse. Most AEDs will give full instructions to the user however the proper training can ensure that the success rate of the maneuver is as high as possible. When someone’s life is on the line it is best to be prepared for as many circumstances as possible.

If you or someone you know could benefit from taking an AHA CPR AED class take a look at the courses offered here. We offer them with flexibility in mind to help fit your busy schedule. Our goal is to offer CPR training to as many people as possible to make those around you safer. We also offer top of the line AED and other emergency equipment to help you prepare for any emergency situation that could arise in your home or workplace. Having the right equipment in the case of an emergency is half the battle and could make a big difference should a worst case scenario occur.