The Rural Medical Transportation Network A Project of the SIU Center for Rural Health &

1. The Rural Medical Transportation Network A Project of the SIU Center for Rural Health & Social Service Development MedTrans: Healthier Patients and Happier Health Care Providers Dennis Presley, MPA – Project Coordinator

2. RMTN Lesson Learned: Health care provider education is important, but misconceptions and legitimate barriers still exist and are an obstacle to patient transportation: • Hospital and clinic staff are very transient, both among facilities and intra-facility • Health care facilities are large and misconceptions become permanent reality • The HC scheduler and the MT dispatcher are often not in the best position to arrange transportation for many medical appointments • Frustrated HC staff simply stop using public transit and either resort to more costly, less efficient transportation or the patient is left with no options.

3. Obstacles in patient transportation results in the diminished health of patients: • Inadequate preventive care • Diseases and maladies go untreated • Follow-up care to hospital releases not performed • Diminished patient health: • More expense to health care providers • More “non-medically necessary” calls to EMS • Poorer quality of life for the patient • MedTrans’ origins are from the RMTN, but is a larger project of the SIU Center for Rural Health & Social Service Development • Pilot funded by a grant from IDOT New Freedom

4. MedTrans is a “mobility management” model that utilizes a strategy of: • Coordination • Close, collaborative relationships between transit and health care, with MedTrans as the conduit • Personal customer service, recognizing that the customer is a PATIENT • MedTrans is governed by a board of directors, comprised of representatives from: • South Central Mass Transit • Shawnee Mass Transit • Jackson County Mass Transit • Rides Mass Transit • Southern Illinois Healthcare • Heartland Regional Medical Center • Shawnee Health Services • VA Hospital – Marion • SIU CRHSSD • EMS • Southern Illinois Transportation

5. MedTrans Center: • Targeted to go online on May 15 • Sited in the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center – SIU Carbondale • Employ a Director and up to seven (7) Mobility Specialists • Procedure • Call for service received by MS from HCP • MS contacts patient to confirm information and needed accommodations • MS contacts a transit provider (s) • MS contacts HCP to confirm ride or seek a more amenable date/time for appointment • Repeat process until ride is confirmed………………... • Calls are not accepted directly from patients, although this component COULD be implemented in a future expansion of the project.

6. Current Status of Project Implementation • Board of Directors by-laws established • 501 (c3) application submitted to IRS • Insurance purchased • Policies established: Privacy, Call Procedure, Employee, etc. • Site has been furnished • Telephones and IT are currently being installed • Employees have been interviewed and will be hired within a few days • Phase 1 of employee training scheduled for April 29: Facilitated by Ed Heflin • Orientation for participating HCPs scheduled for week of May 5th

7. Dennis Presley 618-453-3314 dpresley@siumed.edu