Edwin Fonner,
Jr., DrPH
There are growing numbers of increasingly frail elderly with multiple chronic conditions that live alone in our isolated rural area. They are often unable to drive the long distances required for healthcare and other services. Their family caregivers are dwindling in numbers and are often not available to help out. There are also many lower income persons participating in the CAP program that need transportation to food pantries, the health department, and clinics. CHC’s data along with input from CHRSs indicate that certain corridors are worse than others. Public transit is non-existent between Junction City, Ogden, and Manhattan, and between Manhattan and Wamego. Patient volume between Mercy Health Center and Wamego City Hospital is expected to grow after the merger of the two providers. Also, once an uninsured patient enters the healthcare system, there are often multiple trips required to adhere to the treatment plan – pharmacy visits, diagnostic laboratory, follow up care, and visits to other providers and agencies.
Recognizing these problems, the City of Manhattan attempted to develop a long-range transportation plan in 2000. The City Commission and Urban Area Planning Board spearheaded the effort. The TransSystems Corporation formed Steering and Technical Committees, engaged the public in workshops, established goals and objectives, evaluated existing conditions, and created a detailed plan with administrative, operational, marketing, and financing components. While there was extensive input from the public, the plan is not considered very responsive to local needs. There is limited paratransit transportation available in individual counties, but little work has been done to expand local and intracounty health care transportation.
We will use Sunflower Foundation funds to design, test, and add patient health access transportation to our regional system of care for the uninsured and underinsured. We will (1) retain expertise to estimate needs, project expenses, work with local governments, and negotiate with vendors; (2) add a component to Manhattan’s Transit Implementation Plan; (3) engage patients in focus groups; (4) study successful models like one used by Hays Medical Center with county funds; (5) add a scheduling component to the CAMS system; (6) test a curb-to-curb, demand response system for the uninsured; and (7) propose funding from local governments and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Transit Authority (FTA). Vouchers or a contract with a local transit service provider will be tested. Prospective vendors include: schools, taxis, cut-away public transit buses, the Lutheran Church, Big Lakes Development Services, and Riley County Aging Transportation Agency. [Back to Main Page]