By Sam Henry, CEO & Owner, MedStay

Hey, Sam Henry here. I want to share a story with you. It’s a little long—but it perfectly captures what MedStay does and why we do it.

A few years ago, we had the privilege of working with a couple I’ll call the Greens. They were from Alabama, and the first time they used MedStay was a few weeks earlier when Mr. Green came to Duke for his lung transplant evaluation. Like so many families traveling for specialized care, they needed a place that was comfortable, convenient, and close to the hospital. We helped coordinate their accommodations for that initial visit, making sure everything was lined up so they could focus on the appointments ahead rather than worrying about where they would stay.

Then everything changed.

Mr. Green’s condition worsened. The call came: he was being airlifted to Duke immediately.

At that moment, Mrs. Green was at an attorney’s office finalizing power of attorney paperwork. Her daughter called and said, “They’re getting ready to LifeFlight Dad to Duke. I’ve packed clothes for you. You need to get here so you can fly out with him. I’ll drive the car up next week.”

Within hours, she was on a helicopter headed to North Carolina.

During the flight, her husband looked at her and asked, “I know where I’m staying tonight. Where are you staying?”

In the chaos of a medical emergency, that’s not something most spouses have time to figure out. She told him she’d find something when she got there. She was focused on what mattered most: getting him safely to Duke and into the care of his doctors.

After arriving at Duke, she spent hours getting her husband settled in—meeting with nurses, answering questions, helping him get comfortable in his room. In moments like that, time just blurs. You’re running on adrenaline, trying to stay strong, trying to keep everything together.

And then he looked at her again and said, “I know where I’m sleeping tonight. Where are you staying tonight?”

It’s a simple question—but in the middle of a medical emergency, it can feel overwhelming.

She paused and said, “I’ll call that company we used before… the one where that young guy joked about being an Auburn fan when he found out we were Alabama fans.”

And at 9:30 PM on a Friday night, she picked up the phone and called MedStay.

She had no car. No plan. No time to search dozens of hotels. No way to know which ones had shuttles running late. And most importantly, no mental bandwidth left to sort through logistics.

Thinking Through the Details So Families Don’t Have To

That’s where MedStay steps in.

At 9:30 PM, I wasn’t just looking for a room. I was thinking about:

• • Which hotels still had availability
  • Which ones had a shuttle running until at least 11 PM
  • Which could get her back and forth to Duke over the weekend
  • What would be best for a lung transplant family long-term

I booked her into a hotel that had a reliable shuttle running late on Fridays and throughout the weekend. It wasn’t where I would normally place a lung transplant patient and spouse for an extended stay—but it was the right solution for that moment.

Over the weekend, she could rest. She could focus on her husband. She could ride the shuttle back and forth without worrying about transportation.

Meanwhile, I arranged for a more appropriate long-term stay—a one-bedroom suite in an apartment-style property we partner with. A space designed for extended medical stays. A place where she could breathe a little, cook a meal, and have room to live, not just sleep.

On Monday, that property’s shuttle picked her up and transitioned her to the better long-term solution.

That’s the difference.

What Big Booking Sites Don’t Know

Large hotel chains and online booking platforms can’t do what we do.

They don’t know:

• • Which hotel’s shuttle runs until 10:30 PM on a Friday
  • Which properties operate shuttles on weekends
  • Which hotels are best for transplant patients
  • Which rooms give families space to live for weeks—or months

They see inventory.

We see people and situations.

Most families are in the middle of a battle. They’re dealing with surgeons, insurance, test results, and life-changing conversations. They don’t have the capacity to think through hotel logistics, transportation gaps, or long-term suitability.

We’re not in the battle.

So, we think for you.

Healthcare Begins Before the Hospital

We say it all the time: Healthcare begins with MedStay Because the Healthcare you need is not always local.

Before there’s surgery, before there’s recovery, before there’s hope, there’s the question:

“Where are we going to stay?”

When that question gets answered the right way, families can focus on what truly matters.

If you or someone you love is coming to the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill area for medical care, give us a call.

📞 877-633-7829
🌐 www.medstay.com

We’re here so you don’t have to think about where you’re sleeping tonight, especially when you’re fighting for tomorrow.