Ascension partners with Lyft patient transportation

Ascension has partnered with Lyft, a transportation company, to make non-emergency transportation services available to patients facing transportation barriers.

The agreement will provide an additional resource for Ascension’s most vulnerable patients by making available convenient and reliable transportation, furthering Ascension’s promise to deliver healthcare that leaves no one behind and its efforts to create an exceptional experience for those it serves at an affordable cost.

Once the service is rolled out across the nation’s largest non-profit health system, Lyft drivers will be available for transportation to and from many of Ascension’s 2,500 sites of care, including 141 hospitals, in 24 states plus Washington, DC.

“Many of the patients we serve across the country, especially those living in poverty and struggling the most, rely on public transportation, which can be inconvenient in terms of schedules and pickup and drop-off points,” said Anthony Tersigni, president and CEO of Ascension.

“Some patients may need a ride just once or twice a year, but some individuals with chronic conditions have to travel frequently to one of our care sites. By partnering with Lyft, we can offer our patients a convenient, reliable and affordable form of transportation.”

The service also will provide a way for Ascension to help patients who arrive at a hospital by ambulance and need a ride home when they’re discharged.

“Working with Lyft allows Ascension to provide an additional level of service to our patients as we provide compassionate, personalized care with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable,” Tersigni added.

Through Ascension, Lyft will provide patients with direct transportation to a passenger’s destination and quick response times from drivers, with convenient and customer-friendly service.

Michael Gray, chief operating officer of The Resource Group, a subsidiary of Ascension, said: “We worked closely with our care providers and operational leaders to find the right partner to provide non-emergency transportation services for those we serve.

“We selected Lyft because it best meets our important requirements of convenience, customer support and service, and market flexibility across many of the communities we are blessed to serve.”