From Fort Frances to Thunder Bay, Riverside Health Care runs its Specialty and Diagnostic Transportation service as an effort to reduce barriers and increase equity. Not only does the service operate for physiological health needs, but mental and social wellness appointments. With wheelchair access, a travel attendant, and more, the community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive for this reliable, affordable, and accessible transportation service.
This service started because of the prevalence of people living in the district missing appointments simply because they had no way of getting to the appointment. So, Riverside Health Care sought to provide something safe and accessible.
“Specialty and diagnostic transportation is safe, reliable transportation that makes sure distance and weather don’t stop people from getting care,” said David Black, Director of Community Services for Riverside Health Care.
“We provide room for wheelchairs. We have space for caregivers, and we even have a travel attendant on board who supports the riders. Everyone deserves access to care, no matter where they live. The shuttle is more than just transportation. It’s about breaking down barriers. Health care is not efficient when people miss or can’t access their appointments, and we want to address that gap.”
This service was pioneered because of a tendency for district residents to avoid some appointments due to a lack of affordable public transportation in the district.
“We saw that people were struggling to get to their specialty and diagnostic appointments for reasons like distance, cost, and a lack of accessible transportation,” said Black.
“We wanted to break down that barrier so people could get the care they need. Since most tertiary care for our district is in Thunder Bay, we started there, but we’re also advocating for funding to open a Western route to Winnipeg via Kenora.”
Until the details of the Winnipeg route are ironed out, the service runs from Fort Frances to Thunder Bay. But the support doesn’t stop once people exit the bus. The travel attendants will also help clients navigate the Thunder Bay Health Science Centre by aiding in route planning through the various hallways and corridors at the centre.
“[The travel attendants,] they’ll help them with their bags, with their luggage, and they’ll communicate with their caregivers if required,” Black said.
“If there’s overnight accommodation required, they’ll assist them to get checked in and make sure they get the specialized [hotel] rate that we offer with the service.”
The service is open to anyone in the district who needs access to a health or wellness appointment between Fort Frances, Atikokan, and Thunder Bay, at least until the Winnipeg route opens up.
“Sometimes people seek different modalities of counselling, or if there’s mental health care that takes place outside the district, or emotional care outside of the district, and we’ll support that as well,” said Black.
“We’re not necessarily here to strictly provide transport for physical care. It gives people peace of mind. The service is reliable, it’s affordable, and it’s accessible, all things that you know we’re challenged with as barriers for transportation in the North here.”
According to Black, the cost of transportation from Fort Frances to Thunder Bay is $55, $30 between Atikokan and Thunder Bay, and $25 between Fort Frances and Atikokan. Unfortunately, the service doesn’t run west of Fort Frances, but there is an interim solution for that.
“For people who are trying to access the service from the West End of the district, we partner with our medically stable patient transport program,” said Black.
“That helps us to mitigate the first-mile, last-mile challenges for those residents who live in the West End. What we can do is we’ll bring them in the night before, and we can pick them up in the morning, or arrange for them to have transportation in the morning. Then we’ll bring them to their appointment and then get them back out to their home after that.”
Feedback for the service has been positive, according to Black.
“Feedback is really important to us, and it’s been overwhelmingly positive,” said Black.
“Patients and families have both expressed gratitude, saying that the shuttle has lifted a huge burden. Transportation was a barrier to care in our district. We heard stories of patients missing appointments or delaying care because they simply couldn’t get there. That was unacceptable, and it really motivated us to create a service that bridges that gap. Health systems do not work efficiently when people miss or cancel appointments. If people are not accessing care due to transportation barriers, their health becomes worse, and they end up in the emergency department or are admitted to the hospital, not where they want to be.”
Additionally, some of that anonymous client feedback was shared with the Fort Frances Times.
“I don’t drive anymore, so the shuttle is very nice to use,” said one client. “I don’t have to stress about driving. I get tired easily and do not like to drive long distances,” remarked another. “How nice it is to see my specialist without having to worry about finding transportation,” shared yet another client. “This service fills a huge gap in health care for us Northerners. In the past, I would neglect ophthalmology appointments due to a lack of transportation. I strongly support the program,” said one last client.
The service runs Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, leaving Fort Frances at 7:15 a.m. and arriving in Thunder Bay just after noon, with a return trip in the evening. The shuttle waits for two and a half hours in Thunder Bay for appointments to be completed.
