Kindred Care EMS, the only Black-owned ambulance company in Jacksonville, has answered the call for its community for the last five years.
Handling non-emergency medical transport, Kindred Care’s personnel don’t just show up with a stretcher – they show up with understanding and a focus on care that connects to the community.
“We named ourselves Kindred Care, because we’re going to treat your people just as we would treat our own,” said co-owner MarshiRay Wellington.
Wellington said the company is helping people across the city.
“Culture plays a big part. It allows us to be more personable with them. It allows us to interact with them a lot more, a lot of that is another level of care that we don’t always consider,” Wellington explained.
In a country where 1 in 5 Black adults report being treated unfairly by health care providers — according to the Kaiser Family Foundation — trust in care isn’t a given in the Black community.
James McKinney has been a first responder for nearly 40 years, including time with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. What he sees in the field confirms what many Black Americans have felt for generations.
“All throughout history, we’ve kind of been on the lower end of medical care. We haven’t always been treated as fairly as other races,” McKinney said. “This definitely gives an opportunity for the community to feel more comfortable when they see you coming in to help them and assist them.”
He remembers a mandated federal program in the late 1980s that helped Black first responders like him get their foot in the door.
“We haven’t always been given the opportunity without some high-end or high level assistance. If not for the federal government stepping in saying they had to do it, I probably wouldn’t be talking to you right now,” McKinney said.
While Kindred Care responds to situations across the city, Wellington said its location on the Northside is intentional.
“Being here at this location, that’s providing a level of service that would not be available had we not had the presence we have here,” Wellington said.
Whether it’s a call in the neighborhood or seeing the van drive through, McKinney said just being seen matters. He also believes more work still needs to be done.
“We’ve come a long way, but we have a long, long ways to go,” he said.
Kindred Care is building a legacy of care in the communities that need it the most.