Transportation barriers disproportionately affect the most vulnerable communities served by Harris Health and contribute greatly to health disparities and inequities. Patients often wait long hours to be discharged when they don’t have a ride home increasing their hospital stay and preventing us from serving other patients in a timely manner. In addition, patients often miss important appointments like colonoscopies, mammograms and immunizations because of transportation issues. These missed appointments can result in increased chances of more severe health conditions and preventable emergency room visits in the future.
In fact:
- Patients reporting unmet transportation needs are 2.6-times more likely to report multiple emergency room visits and 2.2-times more likely to report a hospitalization over a 12-month period.
- Patients with greater transportation issues averaged 41% more days in the hospital.
- 66 % of physicians believe assisting patients with transportation concerns helps patients’ overall health
At Harris Health, we want to support our patients’ ability to access care at the right place and the right time and are actively working to reduce transportation barriers. Through a partnership with Lyft, a ride-sharing company, we are providing patients who need a ride home from the hospital after being discharged and a ride to and from their appointments, enabling them to take more control of their health.
¿Cómo puede ayudar?
You can support this critical resource for patients by making a one-time or recurring gift to Harris Health and designating it to the Patient Transportation Fund. You should know that just $20 can support rides for a patient for an entire month. Give today.
