Ellis Shuttle Services LLC provides non-emergency medical transportation across Alachua County for people who live at home and need a reliable ride to the doctor, dialysis or surgery. Founded in 2017, Ellis runs a wheelchair-accessible shuttle bus with a hydraulic lift, and its drivers wait with you inside your appointment instead of dropping you at the curb.
Homes across the county range from apartments and condos in town to single-family houses and rural properties down long county roads. Some have steps at the front door, some have gravel drives, and some sit far from a bus stop. An Ellis driver comes to your door, helps you to the vehicle and gets you settled before the ride starts.
Rooted in Gainesville
Gainesville, the county seat of Alachua County, is where Ellis Shuttle started and where it’s still based. Henry Ellis began driving in 2017, when his wife, an educator, needed dialysis three times a week. The rides on offer kept showing up late or in the wrong vehicle, so Henry bought a wheelchair-accessible shuttle bus and drove her himself.
His wife passed away in 2019. The business she inspired kept going, and Henry still drives some of the clients who have been with him since the beginning. Today Ellis works with a network of about 25 to 30 independent drivers, and the company tagline sums up the approach: People Helping People.
In July 2024, WUFT News, the NPR and PBS affiliated newsroom for north central Florida, featured Ellis in a story about local transportation operators filling gaps in service. For many Alachua County families, those gaps are the reason they call.
Medical Rides That Wait With You
Non-emergency medical transportation from Ellis covers the trips that keep your care on track:
- Doctor and specialist appointments
- Dialysis sessions
- Surgery and post-surgery rides
- Follow-up visits after a hospital stay
Drivers walk in with you, help with paperwork and stay as long as your appointment takes. Wheelchairs and oxygen are available as needed. Clients who travel alone can ride in a sedan, and the shuttle bus with its hydraulic lift handles wheelchair riders and small groups.
ER Discharges From UF Health Shands
For five to six years, Ellis Shuttle Services has held a contract with UF Health Shands Hospital to handle ER patient discharges, 24 hours a day. That means a ride home from the emergency room after you’re released, at any hour, with no advance notice needed. Read more about hospital ER discharge transportation.
Airport and Group Rides
The same shuttle bus seats nine or ten people, which makes it a good fit for families and groups traveling together. Ellis handles airport to hotel transfers and group rides around the county. See the details on airport and group transportation.
How to Book a Ride
Call (352) 225-1740 or send a request through the contact form with your pickup address, appointment time and whether you need a wheelchair. Ellis takes all major credit cards through Square, plus cash, Zelle and Cash App. Ellis also serves riders well beyond the county; see transportation across Florida.