HEROCarts Has Donated Hundreds Of Disposable Bedside Carts to Nurses and Patients

September 29, 2020 by David Coakley

Like most Veteran business owners, Taggart Neal never planned for a global pandemic. But when the coronavirus hit the U.S. earlier this year, the owner of TAGCarts™ pivoted to serve their healthcare clientele on the front-lines and in need.

“A good plan with the right team today is better than a perfect plan next week, “ Neal says, referring to one of his mantras since his days of service in the U.S. Navy.

Neal responded to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s call for healthcare companies to innovate in the face of COVID-19.  Following his service to our country as a Navy Machinist’s Mate, Neal entered the medical industry. In his more than18 years of experience, he has served nurses and the greater healthcare community through medical cart and workstation sales and service. Most recently, he designed the first ever single patient use product family of medical carts. The Sacramento based HEROCarts™ project started in April and hundreds of disposable bedside carts have already been donated to nurses and patients who need them most.

HEROCarts™ are named after real HEROES – the nurses on the frontlines. These lightweight, durable multi-drawer carts on wheels are made out of recyclable paperboard and protect against cross-contamination while providing improved nurse workflow at the point of care. They’re also filled with personal protective equipment.

Neal’s start-up company, TAGCarts™ typically designs and manufacturers medical carts and workstations for hospitals. As the number of coronavirus cases skyrocketed, he immediately identified the void of medical carts and workstations in temporary pop up field hospitals and validated the nurses need for something less permanent to address the environment of care nurses now found themselves in.

The carts are assembled by U.S. Veterans and Americans with disabilities at PRIDE Industries in California. HEROCarts™ have been shipped out to hospitals in California and Arizona and they’re already making a difference. With partnerships ranging from state health departments to PRIDE Industries, HEROCart’s and their kitted PPE are now serving “Alternate Care Sites” and hospitals serving COVID-19 patients.

“I’ve dedicated my career to serving nurses medical carts and workstations that make their heroic jobs easier. Teaming up with U.S. Veterans and Americans with disabilities gives them dignity and honor building TAGCarts which serve to heal Americans in hospitals across the country… it’s a dream come true,” Neal says.

To learn more about the national news publication for U.S. veteran-owned businesses, VetLikeMe.org – please click here.

To learn more about TAGCarts and their single-patient use medical cart, HEROCart – please click here.

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Arizona 3TV News Coverage Video HERE

ARIZONA, USA – The Arizona Department of Health Services just got a huge donation of personal protective equipment for our front line workers.

Hundreds of single-use bedside carts full of supplies for nurses and COVID-19 patients were sent to the Navajo Nation and eight of our most at-risk counties.

TAGCarts CEO Tagg Neal graduated from Northern Arizona University and used to live in the Valley. So when he saw Arizona at the global epicenter in the peak of the pandemic, it was a no-brainer to pivot his new business to help.

“We saw the environments of care over 1,100 pop-up field hospitals erected by the Army Corps of Engineers, and we noticed that the nurses didn’t have the same environment of care with carts and storage and access that they had in the hospital,” said Neal. “They told us, ‘There (are) only two carts in here and 500 beds!”

“Any stressed environment leads to omissions of care, medication errors, so on and so forth,” Neal added.

Knowing alternative care centers for COVID-19 patients would already be stressful environments, his team was confident they had a solution.

“We took an old idea off the shelf to design a cart with 90% of the utility for less than 10% of the cost. So we came up with a product then named it after the frontline heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic and everyday, the nurses,” said Neal.

Their HEROCart is stocked with single-use personal protective equipment like gowns, gloves, masks, and other supplies. They are all fully recyclable in a bio-degradable cart that comes with wheels to help streamline safety and efficiency. Nurses at the Gila River Red Tail Hawk Health Center say having to run all over their sprawling campus can be tough so they’re looking forward to using the carts to keep supplies more easily accessible. They just got 54 of the donated HEROCarts.

So whether it’s a rural tent pop-up for overflow care or a clinic on standby for surge capacity like Red Tail Hawk, HEROCarts keep all supplies bedside, so nurses can focus on the patients. There’s even a drawer for patients to store personal items with dignity.

“Your personal diabetic medication, your eyeglasses, cellphone, wallet. And the feedback that we’re getting is, yeah, it’s a, it’s a wonderful product with a lot of value for those environments,” said Neal.

And from packaging to shipping, where they found a Phoenix moving company, Dircks Moving & Logistics to bring the donated carts here for free. It’s a project they’re more than proud of.

“Not only is this product helpful and useful, it’s been assembled by veterans and Americans with disabilities here in the United States of America,” said Neal.

In addition to the 250 carts donated statewide, TAGCarts also donated another 150 HEROCarts to the Navajo Nation, and they’re doing the same in California, where they’re now based, investing more than $150,000 in our front line workers.

“When you’re doing the right thing, the right way with the right people for the right reasons, there’s nothing that can replace that feeling,” said Neal.

Nicole Crites anchors 3TV’s Good Evening Arizona weekdays. Nicole also digs deep into issues affecting Arizonans.  You’ll see her reports on 3TV News at 9 p.m. Copyright 2020 KPHO/KTVK (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.

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Veterans embody the qualities of successful entrepreneurs: leadership, dedication, resilience, and the ability to pivot during uncertain times. Taggart Neal, a United States Navy Veteran, recently rose to meet the current challenges and needs of medical professionals around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taggart Neal first reached out to his local Veterans Business Outreach Center in 2009, when he began receiving complimentary business consulting and training services. American River Medical was then founded, a company servicing healthcare clients in medical cart and storage solutions.
Taggart received the VBOC 2017 Small Business Champion of the Year…

…To read how TAGCarts™ pivoted to keep nurse healthcareheroes safe and the HEROCart project – Please see complete PDF link below for entire PSA (Public Service Announcement)

PSA – Veteran Owned Business TAGCarts™ Pivots to Respond to COVID-19 PDF

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