Transcript The Intersection Between Rural Health Care and Transportation

Valerie Miller
Medical Transportation Specialist
Community Transportation Association of America
[email protected]
When health care is provided
but the patient can’t access it,
is it really health care?
Is transportation any good if we
don’t take people where they
need to go?
Especially in rural areas, when the
two intersect, better health
outcomes result
 Transportation solutions come
from collaborations , combined
funding and resources and
coordination
Transportation Resources are only
a click away
 http://www.apta.com/links/state_local/ by state
and by county transportation
 http://www.ctaa.org/arc click on United We Ride
Ambassadors
 www.eldercare.gov for senior service
transportation
 www.cancer.org for the American Cancer Society
 Or call your metropolitan planning organization
to see if they work with transportation
coordination in the area.
What can be done to make the
connection work better?
 Health care and transportation working
together can make the outcome more
successful
 Transportation can be when it is needed
 Transportation can be where it is needed
 Transportation can be more affordable
South Dakota Project
 Public Transit in Pierre South Dakota
 Hospital in Pierre South Dakota
 American Cancer Society Midwest Division
 SDDOT
Health professionals and
transportation professionals
 All worked together to form a pilot project to
schedule medical trips for cancer treatment
geographically so long distance medical
transportation needs could be served.
 Team meets monthly to continue outreach to
patients and to insure transportation routes are
on appropriate days
 Group is identifying new ways to expand to other
areas
Don’t let the intersection turn into
a dead end.
 Rural medical transportation is not a sure thing.
The need is growing.
 As our population ages, more people rely on some
means of transportation to have access to medical
care.
 In order that this transportation receives the
necessary funding to exist, it is important to
continue to educate those around us to make
them aware of the need.
Health care and
Transportation
 The intersection of collaboration
and coordination
 We have to work together for
healthy communities
Valerie Miller
 Community Transportation Association
of America
 Medical Transportation Specialist
 202 294 2212
 [email protected]
 www.ctaa.org