Ford launching medical transportation service

Logistics and delivery companies looking to diversify their portfolios may want to take a look at a new service which Ford Motor Company is launching in Michigan.

In a statement issued today (18 April), Ford announced that its new “Go Ride” non-emergency medication transportation service is now available to help ferry patients to and from their appointments at more than 200 facilities across the Beaumont Health network.

Ford piloted Go Ride in late 2017 and is now official launching the service across Southeast Michigan.

According to Ford: “With GoRide, health systems such as Beaumont can easily schedule and book transportation for their patients, ensuring they safely arrive to their medical appointments on time and then get back to the comfort of their own homes or residence facilities.

“The program features properly outfitted Ford Transit vans that can comfortably accommodate a variety of patients, including the elderly, those in wheelchairs and others with mobility challenges. GoRide also serves patients who simply lack easy access to transportation.”

When the GoRide pilot with Beaumont Health began in late 2017, there were five Transit Wagon vans outfitted to provide patient transportation. GoRide currently has 15 Transit vehicles at its disposal, with plans to add another 10 by midyear and up to 60 vans by the end of the year.

In its pilot phase, said Ford, GoRide delivered a 92% on-time patient pick-up and delivery rate, with average wait times of only 10 to 30 minutes for on-demand wheelchair transport.