Transportation company Ride Health has assembled a COVID-19-equipped transportation network for the greater New York City area.
Local PACE (Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) organizations and community-based social wellness agencies such as Federation of Organizations are among the first to use the network of COVID-equipped, electronic dispatch-integrated transportation providers serving all five boroughs of New York City and surrounding areas that include Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties, according to officials.
They contend this is the greater New York City area's “first and most comprehensive COVID-19 equipped transportation network.”
Patient care organizations can now use Ride Health's cloud-based and mobile-first transportation coordination platform to arrange rides for patients in COVID-19 equipped vehicles, ranging from standard and wheelchair-accessible vehicles to stretcher vans and BLS/ALS ambulances.
According to company leaders, Ride Health has individually vetted transportation providers in the network to ensure their policies and procedures comply with CDC guidelines as well as state-specific health authority guidance for COVID-19. Standards include continuous use of personal protective equipment, sterilization of vehicles between every ride, and daily health checks for drivers.
The organization’s network of COVID-equipped transportation providers will help aim to help healthcare organizations safely discharge or transfer patients who have been exposed to the virus, as well as maintain access to life-sustaining treatments for patients with chronic medical conditions, including those who prefer to receive care in their homes, according to officials.
"Protecting vulnerable populations has always been a priority at Federation, and we're grateful that Ride Health will help us be ever vigilant in protecting those in our care," said Barbara Faron, CEO, Federation of Organizations.
Ride Health is also preparing to help one of New York's largest health plans distribute home-delivered meals to members who are homebound due to the ongoing risks presented by COVID-19.
"With social distancing and stay-at-home measures, as well as limitations on testing, common forms of transportation such as ride-hailing and public transit are no longer viable means of moving patients who have been exposed to or are positive for COVID-19," added Imran Cronk, CEO and founder of Ride Health. "As a New York-based company, we are honored to serve healthcare organizations and patients here in our backyard. We are also grateful to our medical transportation partners, whose drivers are serving on the frontlines to ensure access to care."
