July 30, 2023 3:20 a.m. 

Veterans can now participate in VA Uber Health Connect – an initiative that provides supplemental transportation to eligible veterans needing access to and from medical care appointments.

A release from the VA Roseburg Healthcare System said the initiative bridges the transportation gap by ensuring veterans have reliable transportation for their health care needs. National Lead of VA Uber Health Connect Dr. Indra Sandal said, “By offering ridesharing as an additional means of transportation, VA is helping Veterans access the best and soonest possible care – while still achieving cost savings”.

The initiative launched as a pilot program in 2022 at ten VA Medical Centers. From January 2022 to March 2023, the program completed more than 30,000 Uber rides across over 408,000 miles for veterans. The release said these rides have increased access, improved clinical engagement and saved the VA an estimated $35 million. The cost savings are partly from faster emergency department and inpatient discharges and closing the gap on an estimated 28,000 missed appointments.

This year the program is expanding to nine new Veteran Integrated Service Networks and sixty VAMC’s.

According to the American Hospital Association, 3.6 million people in the United States do not obtain medical care due to transportation challenges.

RVAHCS’s VA Medical Center Director Patrick Hull said, “This is a life-altering program that offers our most vulnerable Veterans care – the moment they need it”. Hull said, “It also advances our ability to offer more accessible, equitable health care to our local Veteran community”.

Veterans interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to contact the Roseburg VA Medical Center at 440-1000.