Patient Assistance Transportation Program

LIBERTY, Mo., February 8, 2024 – The Patient Assistance Program aims to provide resources to the Liberty Hospital Community who are under or uninsured.  Once facet of this program is providing transportation to patients in need.  Whether it be gas gift cards, Uber Health, Iris Transportation, or American Cancer Society funding, this is a vital aspect of Patient Assistance.

In March of 2023, the Liberty Hospital Foundation fully implemented a transportation program with Uber Health.  In this short 11 month time period, we have helped over 500 patients get to the Hospital, pharmacy, or back home when these individuals otherwise might have not been able to.  The Clinics in the Liberty Hospital health system have also been able to utilize this program to help get patients to and from appointments and make stops to pharmacies along the way.  Uber Health has been convenient and easy to use; the rides can be ordered by staff, nurses, care managers, or the patient if they already have an Uber account.

IRIS is an app-based program that acts as an on-demand ride locating service.  The Hospital started working with IRIS in 2023 to help fill in gaps where city busses do not have easily accessible stops.  This is a flat fee app that covers the entirety of Kansas City, MO, Gladstone, Riverside, and Liberty.

We intend to continue working with the American Cancer Society (ACS) on their gas card funding grant program in years to come as well.  We are proud to work with the ACS on helping this specific patient population who are already going through a difficult time; transportation should not be a barrier in receiving life-saving care.

Additionally, there are other services that can pick up and drop off for wheelchair bound and behavioral health patients who need to be transferred to other locations through our partnership with Jim Stewart Transportation.

Dennie Anderson, the Director of the Care Management, helps the Foundation strategically grow our Patient Assistance program as well as operate and maintain it.  Dennie said, “Transportation issues can affect a patient’s access to healthcare services. These issues may result in missed or delayed healthcare appointments, increase in healthcare expenditures and overall poor health outcomes. Liberty Hospital and the Liberty Foundation are a vital part of our community. The services we have been able to provide extend well beyond the hospital and clinics. The Care Management Team has been given the ability to continuously identify and develop resources to help address the social determinants of health in our community, which is greatly appreciated.”

Thank you to our community supporters who help us provide vital programs like transportation to the Liberty Hospital community.  For more information on how to donate to programs like this one, or for any questions, please contact: foundation@libertyhospital.org.

The Liberty Hospital Foundation supports patients, individuals, families, and employees in the Liberty Hospital community by creating, funding, and promoting programs that improve health, education, wellness, and care. Make a Gift to support our mission, today!