Dearborn’s Ford Motor Co. today announced it is offering its GoRide non-emergency medical transportation service across the Detroit Medical Center network.
Ford GoRide is now serving patients at DMC’s Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit Receiving Hospital, Sinai-Grace Hospital, Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, DMC Heart Hospital, Harper University Hospital, and Hutzel Women’s Hospital.
“Helping patients with mobility issues or no access to transportation make it to their medical appointments on time and in a safe and comfortable manner is a key part of delivering on our DMC mission,” says Joel Keiper, chief strategy officer at DMC. “This collaboration with Ford GoRide is one example of how we work to address the needs of our community members and collaborate to provide beneficial solutions that improve the patient experience.”
GoRide drivers are professionally trained in passenger assistance safety and sensitivity, patient rights, CPR, and more. Ford Transit vans are outfitted to transport people with mobility challenges. The program has a 97-percent on-time pick-up and delivery average.
“I’ve never been late to an appointment because of GoRide,” says Rosa Brown, a patient at DMC Rehabilitation Institute. “The drivers are very courteous, they help me in and out, and they try to make me very comfortable. After my stroke, I wasn’t able to drive, so GoRide has been a wonderful solution for me, and I’ve had nothing but a great experience with them.”
About 3.6 million Americans fail to receive health care due to a lack of transportation, according to the National Conference of Staff Legislature. According to the U.S. Census, the number of people without a vehicle in Detroit is 16 percent higher than the national average.
“Too often, patients miss medical appointments simply because it’s too hard to find transportation they can consistently count on,” says Marion Harris, vice president of mobility business group for Ford. “GoRide tackles this problem by providing a human-centered service that is reliable, that makes it easy for DMC staff to schedule and book transportation for their patients, and also focuses on ensuring people have a safe and great experience.”
Booking rides is handled through DMC-based schedulers working with GoRide dispatchers. Patients will appointments at the DMC locations or approved physician partners can also schedule their transportation over the phone or through the Ford GoRide website.
