San Juan Regional Medical Center - Community Van

Overview

San Juan Regional Medical Center is a 254-bed, acute-care hospital located in the Four Corners Region of the American southwest. As the sole community provider of hospital services in San Juan County, the hospital delivers a remarkable range of health care services not only to the citizens of San Juan County, but to the people of the entire region. For more than 15 years, the hospital’s community van has provided free, convenient, and reliable transportation to San Juan Regional Medical Center facilities and to physicians who have privileges at the hospital. If not for the van, it would be more difficult for many of the elderly and disabled persons who use the service to get to and from their doctor’s office.

Impact

From January to December 2012, the hospital’s community van made 1,038 round trips, 245 of which were for wheelchair-bound patients; traveled 26,469 miles; and made use of 245 staff hours.

Challenges/success factors

Van drivers cover a large and rural area, working diligently to provide this valuable service to patients within an approximate 20-mile radius of San Juan Regional Medical Center.

Future direction/sustainability

As part of the hospital’s roadmap to improving health in the Four Corners Region, San Juan Regional Medical Center will continue to provide transportation to patients who otherwise wouldn’t have a ride to their appointments. Additional community resources are available to individuals for other transportation needs such as getting to and from the grocery store or pharmacy.

Advice to others

Setting up a network of community transportation services and options is critical to fulfilling other needs this population might have. Pulling resources together and partnering with other community services are essential to making sure transportation needs are met.

Contact: Tina Pacheco-White
Marketing Coordinator
Telephone: 505-609-2239
E-mail: tpachecowhite@sjrmc.net