Partners Healthcare to Provide Transportation for Patients Through New Service Circulation
The company utilizes ride share programs like Lyft.
Image via iStockphoto.com/nullplus
One of the biggest barriers to proper healthcare is not what you might think. According to the National Academy of Sciences, each year, 4 million Americans miss out on care because they face transportation barriers. Simply getting to a doctor visit or the hospital can be a challenge.
Enter Circulation: A digital platform between hospitals and ride shares that coordinates non-emergency transportation for all areas of healthcare for people who can’t find a ride to get to an appointment. Now, Bostonians seeking services at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital can take advantage of this service, with a new partnership announced between Circulation and Partners Healthcare.
“We’ve found that patients at city hospitals rely heavily on outside transportation,” Caitlin Donovan, COO of Circulation, says. “What’s really great about our platform is that if you’re a patient you can have a nurse or care manager call a ride for you and book on your behalf. We make it really easy to get to your appointments and to know when you’re getting there and you’ll get where you need to be when you need to be there.”
The Circulation database utilizes ride shares like Lyft as well as specialized transport providers including door-to-door and wheelchair and stretcher services. It is used by more than 2,500 health facilities in more than 40 states across the country and services employees as well as patients.
Donovan says care managers will offer the option for a ride if patients indicate a need for one, allowing the patient experience to be seamless. And even better, the patient isn’t charged for the ride, she says.
“At Partners, we look for technologies that can help us deliver care more efficiently, improve patient outcomes, and better serve our communities,” Gregg Meyer, chief clinical officer at Partners, said in a press release. “This new collaboration checks the box on all three and further helps us address those social determinants of health that are so impactful on a patient’s well-being.”
