WMH launches new patient transportation program

Imagine having scheduled an important medical appointment or treatment session and not being able to get there due to a lack of transportation.

 It’s a nationwide problem affecting thousands of patients, young and old, in rural areas across the United States, including Weiser.

 There are local organizations such as Angel Wings Network and Surviving Hearts that specifically help provide cancer patients transportation solutions for appointments and treatments.

 There are, however, non-cancer patients who may simply need a ride to healthcare facilities in the area but, for a variety of reasons, have no way of getting there.

 Local transportation is a need that WMH Community Health Worker Jenni Rodriguez has identified and is now zeroed in on.

 “I started here (at WMH) in 2023 and one of the first things I noticed, where my biggest bulk of referrals were coming from, was people needing transportation out of the valley or local,” Rodriguez told the Signal American. “We do have Medicaid transport where Medicaid will pay for it, but it doesn’t always work the way it is supposed to. So, there is a real need for local transport to doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, dentists, to go pick up prescriptions or just to go buy healthy foods.”

 According to WMH’s annual Community Health Needs Assessment, Washington County has the highest percentage of residents living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and the lowest median income in the greater Treasure Valley.

 In addition, the city of Weiser has the largest percentage of population 65 or older. Approximately 45.6 percent of communities in Washington, Adams and Payette counties are rural, agricultural or ranching areas and there is no public transportation.

 With that in mind, Rodriguez launched the WMH Transportation Program, partnering with the Weiser Activity Center for Seniors.

 The program became a reality thanks to grants that have helped fund it. 

 “We received a CHIF (Community Health Improvement Fund) grant from St. Luke’s for $3,000 and then we applied for a grant through the Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation,” said WMH Foundation Executive Director Kimberly Burgess who has contributed to the project. “We applied for a $30,000 grant and received $24,000. 

 “And then, we also used all our money from our Year End Giving campaign that we do at the end of the year. We raised a little over $5,000 and put that toward our transportation program. We always select a different project each year. We have done transitional care in the past, our swing-bed program and last year’s program was the transportation program.”

 Rodriguez has been working on the program since last fall, with the project getting off the ground in April of this year.

 The Weiser senior center has generously agreed to partner with WMH by allowing use of its bus, which is utilized by the center for congregate meals and for transport during Fiddle Week. 

 Patients must give at least 24 hours’ notice, with the senior center providing transportation from 9-11 a.m. and 1:30-5 p.m.

 “We use our own driver, Tony Jones. The patients that need a ride, he will go pick them up and about an hour later, we take them back home,” explained senior center President Karen Hoffer. “But we can’t do that through the lunch hour because that’s when Tony goes and picks up our people. They eat lunch, and then he takes them back home.”

 Rodriguez said it has been a pleasure working with the senior center.

 “It’s been fantastic working with them,” she said. “We haven’t encountered one hiccup; they really work with us. All of the clinics in town, or any provider, is able to refer to this service.”

 To use the service, patients must live within a two-mile radius of Weiser. Participating health providers include Two Rivers Medical Clinic, Family Medical Center, Current Physical Therapy and others.

 In order to take advantage of the program, patients need to fill out a Transportation Voucher Data form. The form asks patients to indicate why they need transportation, including senior citizen, no personal transportation or driver’s license, disability, low income, vision issues, etc. It also requires patients to indicate income level.

 The form is available at all health provider locations.

 “If I am at Current Physical Therapy and I say to the manager, ‘I am really struggling to get to my appointments because I don’t have the financial means or I’m walking and it’s 108 degrees’ or maybe they don’t drive anymore, they would need to fill out one of these forms and then they would get a voucher right there on the spot,” Burgess explained.

 The other option is to contact Jenni Rodriguez. This option will be able to provide patients with gas cards.

 Data forms must be returned to Jenni Rodriguez and can be faxed to (208) 549-4402, emailed to jrodriguez@weiserhospital.org, by calling her at (208) 549-0370 (ext. 4438), or at (541) 930-4360.