Pilot Transportation Program

Program meeting family need thus far

Shortly after opening our doors in 2011, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center began providing our families with complimentary shuttle service. The schedule covers our guests’ transportation needs on weekdays from 8am-5pm, with hourly service. While this schedule continues to meet the needs of many of our families, there was an unmet need for transportation every evening, weekend, and most holidays for families with admitted patients and for families who need to go to Novant Health.

“Transportation shouldn’t be a barrier to health care, yet it is often cited as one of the biggest barriers for a patient. Transportation barriers lead to rescheduled or missed appointments, and delayed care. These consequences may lead to poorer management of the patient’s illness and thus lead to poorer health outcomes, ” says Stacy Sawyers, Cancer Support Specialist at Novant Health, Derrick Davis Cancer Center.

Indeed, transportation was one of the support programs valued most by guests according to surveys. As a result, the Family House piloted a supplemental transportation program in April 2019. With this program, the Family House partners with Lyft to provide a Lyft ride for families with admitted patients on a set schedule. Guests sign-up for their ride at the Welcome Desk ahead of time. Welcome Desk staff will request the ride through Lyft Concierge for the guest to and from the hospital.

So far, the pilot program has met the needs of over 200 guests needing transportation over the course of four months.

“When our patients stay at the SECU Family House those barriers are removed,” says Stacy. “The patient is able to stay close to their treatment facility and have guaranteed safe transportation to all of their appointments while staying there! We have had many patients that would not have successfully completed their treatment simply because they could not get here”

“[With the] SECU Family House providing transportation our patients are able to safely and comfortably travel to and from their life-changing often life-sustaining treatment. Simply put, the Family House changes the health outcomes of every patient they provide transportation for.”

Other outcomes include:

• Reduction of stress for families with admitted patients – allowing them to stay later and have transportation on weekends and holidays when none is currently available.
• More families with limited income and/or no vehicle able to stay at the Family House.
• Cost savings to our families in daily gas and parking fees.

For more information on the Pilot Transportation Program and how to support the effort, please contact Melissa Thompson at melissa.thompson@familyhousews.org or 336-793-2822.