UT Health is streamlining its non-emergency patient transportation system.
The University has contracted with Community EMS, which is based in Ohio and Michigan, to provide all patient transportation with a fleet of five vehicles branded UT Health.
“It makes it easier from an administrative standpoint because we won’t be working with multiple different companies,” said Greg Hawkins, director of business development at The University of Toledo Medical Center. “We won’t have to make multiple calls to transport our patients. This also gives us quality control because we will have requirements on timeliness for prescheduled transports.”
Prior to this change effective Sept. 14, UT Health did not have a contract with a provider, but operated from a list of local transportation companies to assist with moving patients from UTMC to skilled nursing facilities, for instance, or from UTMC to off-site locations. While patients have the final say in transportation, most patients ask for the hospital to arrange it, Hawkins said.
Jeff Schneiderman, operations manager for Community EMS, said the partnership offers the opportunity for continual level of care.
“Most of the patients being transported will leave UTMC seeing the back of one of our squad doors,” Schneiderman said. “We want to make sure it is the best experience we could possibly give them.”
“We have been looking at the opportunity to become more efficient and timely in providing our patients a safe transition,” said Angie Ackerman, director of outcome management for UTMC. “The overall goal is to provide patient satisfaction, along with quality customer service, from a unique vendor that will have the patient’s best interest in mind.”
Ackerman said Community EMS is providing transportation to many of UTMC’s new off-site locations. She expects at least 10 transports per day.
