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- Ride Connection is a nonprofit organization.
Our mission is to link accessible responsive
transportation with community need.
Really focusing on the individual and what is available
in the community and making the connection where necessary.
- I think from the healthcare side,
we knew that transportation was a huge barrier for people.
To be able to get to their medical appointments,
to access food or get to a job,
- The need for transportation, it's universal.
Everyone at some point in their life
is going to need help with transportation.
- So back in 2013, what we had identified
is really the need for a different approach
to transporting people to dialysis treatment.
People were so worried about missing their ride
that they would end their treatment early
in order to make their ride,
and we knew we needed to change that.
- Ride Connection was able to get funding
for their Mobility for Health program.
- [Julie] There became an opportunity available
through the Transit Planning 4 All.
We had an advisory committee
that was made up of 50% patients and other clinicians.
We had a driver on our committee,
as well as others within the community.
There were four components that we wanted to work on
to affect change.
Education, outreach
and having a specific volunteer driver program
for dialysis transportation.
As well as we wanted to test the ideas
that had come out of the focus group.
By including patients in this process,
we really learned there were some small changes we could do
to operational protocols
that would make the world of difference.
- [Leslie] Ride Connection will pick you up
and take you right there.
Knowing that I can get somewhere safely,
it just means everything.
It makes everything possible.
- So we really, as an organization,
looked at planning for the future
and how could we implement the changes we made
in order to better serve the community.
- [Rachel] We were able to do
a lot of different programs together since then,
really trying and seeing how can some of these
you know, non-emergent medical transportation
partnerships work for specific disease conditions,
as well as different vulnerable
and marginalized communities.
- It is very easy to call the service center
and arrange rides in advance.
- Engaging community members.
Having them take ownership of the program
and having them even name the program
and brand the program really spoke volumes to the community.
There were three individuals
that I met through this process
that I believe changed the way that I think
about independent mobility.
Troyce, Andrea and Elizabeth
made significant commitments, sacrifices,
and created a space where we could learn from them.
We built this for the community,
with the community.
- I was on a committee for Ride Connection.
It felt wonderful to know that my voice was heard.
They actually called me
and that made me feel my input was valuable.
- And we truly believe that any planning,
any work, any data analysis that has to do
with members of the community
that are affected by the transportation service
you're going to create,
are involved in the process.
- For older adults and people living with disabilities.
A lot of systems are not built to accommodate them.
I think what sets Ride Connection apart
from other organizations, is the focus on every individual.
Everybody coming in has a different story,
has a different need,
making sure that they act with an equity and mission lens,
but being very customer focused
in every element of their work.
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