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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Transportation to Support Rural Healthcare – Models and Innovations

These stories feature model programs and successful rural projects that can serve as a source of ideas and provide lessons others have learned. Some of the projects or programs may no longer be active. Read about the criteria and evidence-base for programs included.

Other Project Examples

Updated/reviewed November 2024

  • Need: Free, non-emergency air travel for children and adults in need of medical treatment far from home who live in rural areas of the Northeast.
  • Intervention: Angel Flight East, a free medical flight service, has expanded their focus to include more patients from rural areas, as well as those with rare medical conditions.
  • Results: Since adding the Rural & Rare Reach program, Angel Flight East has made contact with over 100 Critical Access Hospitals and more than 300 FQHCs for referrals. Ongoing promotional efforts with rural health organizations are helping to increase the awareness of flight services to rural locations.

Updated/reviewed November 2024

  • Need: Public transportation options in a rural 8-county area in northwest Minnesota.
  • Intervention: A coordinated public transportation and volunteer driver system which serves northwest Minnesota.
  • Results: Increased ridership and affordable access to transportation for residents of 8 counties in rural, northwest Minnesota.

Updated/reviewed August 2024

  • Need: To educate rural community members about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and to support older adults in need.
  • Intervention: A community group formed in Winnemucca, Nevada, to discuss topics like health, housing, social events, community improvement, education, and transportation for older adults. The group also provides outreach to older adults, caregiver support, and a variety of educational activities and events.
  • Results: The group's efforts have led to many changes for community welfare and safety as well as opportunities for education and activities.

Updated/reviewed March 2024

  • Need: Affordable, dependable alternative to bridge the transportation gap between rural Missouri residents and their ability to connect with healthcare providers.
  • Intervention: Creation of HealthTran, a sustainable multi-service non-emergency transportation platform model based on the Community Mobility Management framework.
  • Results: After national recognition of its initial grant-funded pilot success, HealthTran has further evolved into a sustainable and replicable rural health-centric transportation membership model. Linking patients to appointments with healthcare providers, the model continues to expand further into rural Missouri, with some additional scaling in urban areas.

Updated/reviewed January 2024

  • Need: Reliable transportation options for employment and medical access needs for residents of Paris, Texas.
  • Intervention: A regional government coalition, already operating a rural regional transportation system, partnered with a rural community's medical, education and business entities to expand and improve the community's transportation system.
  • Results: After implementation, decreased emergency room visits were noted, likely due to reliable transportation for scheduled medical appointments. Paris Metro still continues as a low cost/no cost transportation network and includes paratransit opportunities.

Updated/reviewed March 2023

  • Need: Free, non-emergency air travel for people of all ages who need to access medical care and other essential services far from home.
  • Intervention: A network of more than 1,600 pilots donate their time, skills, aircraft, and all costs associated with flying to help families and individuals in need in 12 western states.
  • Results: Families are able to receive vital medical treatment and have other needs met that might not otherwise be possible because of financial, medical, or geographic limitations.

Updated/reviewed March 2023

  • Need: Transportation to medical appointments for children and expectant mothers living in rural Alabama.
  • Intervention: Kid One Transport provides rides to medical appointments for clients who otherwise have no other means of transportation.
  • Results: The program has transported 442,439 children and expectant mothers to and from medical appointments. Children have recovered from life-threatening illnesses and are experiencing a higher quality of life.

Updated/reviewed August 2022

  • Need: To reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by drunk driving in Isanti County.
  • Intervention: The SafeCab program provides alternative transportation home for bar patrons who would otherwise drive impaired.
  • Results: The program is credited with a significant decrease in DUI (Driving Under the Influence) arrests and the lower average corresponding BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) levels in Isanti County.

Updated/reviewed August 2022

  • Need: To provide transportation to rural seniors who are no longer able to drive.
  • Intervention: SMiles, a rural senior transportation program, was implemented in Blount County, Tennessee.
  • Results: Since 2013, SMiles has provided over 41,500 rides and errands to its rural seniors.

Updated/reviewed August 2022

  • Need: To reduce the incidences of repeat drunk driving.
  • Intervention: Repeat DWI (driving while intoxicated) offenders were given a staggered sentence, allowing them to serve their sentence in segments of time, typically separated by several months to a year. The offender was able to file a motion to request a waiver for the remaining sentence period(s), if able to show that he/she maintained sobriety.
  • Results: The incidence of recidivism, or crime relapse, has been reduced among offenders given staggered sentences, by comparison to offenders given traditional DWI sentences. The program has also reduced the average cost of jail time that otherwise would have been served from a full sentence.
Last Updated: 11/13/2024