Guiding Principle 1: Make Transportation Resources Known to Me and Easy to Understand
Insights:
| Improve Marketing | Improve Simplicity | Make Resources known to SJHS Staff and Patients | Make Resources Bilingual |
“There is not enough marketing for the resources available and when people find they have a problem they often don’t know where to look for a solution”
On Lack of Technology to research resources :“Most of my clients do not even have cell phones and if they do they are flip phones” – Kaley Kubiac, Transportation Coordinator Riverbend. |
Due to Medicaid restrictions, A lot of the burden to schedule transportation sits on the patient who might be unable to do so or not know how to do it.
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“ People and staff in house don’t know about the resources. There is a communication gap”
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“Some inefficiencies arise when there is a language barrier between the patients and the center’s workers.”
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Guiding Principle 2 : Make Transportation Services Flexible
Insights:
Make it flexible as appointments often run behind schedule |
Make it flexible in case I have to bring children with me |
Make it flexible in case I have to pick up medication or other necessities on the way home |
Have late night and weekend hours |
“Scheduling one single ride might take 7 separate phone calls and conversations”
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“I usually walk, which is more difficult carrying 3 kids and I’m 9-months pregnant.”
“All my kids go to different schools…every day is different.”
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“While REAL Services does transport patients, our transportation services operate within a very specific time frame which leaves some patients without transportation help.”
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In a phone interview with Michelle Peters, Director of Community Health and Wellbeing for St Joseph’s Health Systems, she mentioned that South Bend transpo lacks in weekend and late night routes. The current routes also do not go to all of the SJHS facilities. |
Guiding Principle 3 : Make it time efficient and Cost Efficient
| Make it cost efficient for Patient | Make it cost efficient for Organization | Make it as time efficient as possible | |
| “Uber requires a credit card. I don’t have a credit card”
-Kate, client at Mishawaka Medical Center -Laura, client at SJHS Mishawaka Medical Center’s Pediatrics |
“Patient no-shows can be very costly..up to $300”
–Geoff Zimpelman, Population Health -Rob, SJHS Volunteer |
“I’ve been waiting one hour for the Medicaid shuttle”
-Kate, client at Mishawaka Medical Center -Geoff Zimpelman, Population Health |
Guiding Principle 4 : Create continuity for patient transportation within all medical offices and facilities
Insights:
| Improve communication between all offices | Find one company, like uber, that will be certified by medicaid throughout all regions | Lessen criteria to increase amount of people who can utilize services |
| “Nothing is centralized. Each clinic and office does different things and they don’t work together on things such as transportation” –Obi Madukoma, Care Coordinator Population Health |
“Medicaid will cover transportation costs for its patients, but this can get complicated because only certain cab companies are certified to pick up patients. Depending on where you live, there may not be a viable cab company to use.” -Ranae, Receptionist at Family Medical Office |
“Various organizations will provide transportation for patients, but each organization will only deal with people who meet specific criteria.” -Geoff Zimpelman, Population Health |
Guiding Principle 5 : Solution needs to work on a large scale and handle large influx of volume
Insights:
| Use Resources Efficiently | Standardize Method of Transportation | Frequent and Flexible |
| “With many different services currently being offered, it is important for SJHS to make sure that certain resources are not being unnecessarily duplicated.”
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“A transportation service that provides ‘door-to-door’ transportation would work best to accommodate all kinds of patients with varying levels of functionality.”
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“Transportation must be able to accommodate different patient’s schedules and availability for doctor appointments.” –
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