Federal grant to support Tri-City patient transportation

OCEANSIDE – Patients at Tri-City Medical Center can gain access to low-cost rides thanks to a federal grant awarded to a nonprofit transportation agency. The Federal Transportation Administration in August 2016 awarded $200,000 to Facilitating Access to Coordinated Transportation – or FACT — a regional brokerage of transportation services for seniors and disabled people. The grant is part of the federal agency’s “Rides to Wellness” medical transportation initiative.“The stress and hardship of hospitalization should not include worrying about a ride home,” said county Supervisor Dave Roberts, chairman of FACT’s Board of Directors. The transportation service is set to begin later this year and will continue through the 18-month duration of the grant. Patients can gain access to the service upon their discharge from the hospital and for follow-up visits. “The Rides to Wellness grant helps patients get affordable, dependable rides and also cuts healthcare costs by reducing the likelihood of hospital readmissions,” Roberts said. Working in partnership with the San Diego Association of Governments, FACT is one of 19 transportation agencies in the nation to have been awarded the federal grant.