Hackensack Meridian Health Partners with Lyft as Nation’s First Health Care Network to Develop Centralized Ride-Share Command Center

The 16-hospital network is adding Lyft to array of services and improving patient care and safety

Hackensack Meridian Health has launched the first fully digital, centralized ride-share command center in the U.S. to provide on-demand, non-emergency medical transportation for patients who have difficulty getting medical care due to transportation issues. In addition, Hackensack Meridian Health has partnered with the fastest growing rideshare company in the U.S., Lyft as its primary ride-share provider.

A study from the Washington, D.C. – based Community Transportation Association found that roughly 3.6 million Americans miss or arrive late for medical appointments each year due to inadequate access to transportation.

“Transportation issues should not prevent anyone from getting to or from a doctor’s appointment,” said Robert C. Garrett, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Our centralized ride-share command center allows us to interact often with patients, especially those with chronic diseases, to drive better health outcomes.”

Increasingly, health networks and insurers are considering socio-economic factors that impact health such as access to fresh food, transportation for medical visits and safe places to exercise. As the nation faces an epidemic of chronic illness and aging, there’s more emphasis on maintaining health. Innovations in technology also help health networks do a better job of keeping people well, including telemedicine and partnering with transportation innovators.

“We do all we can to eliminate barriers to and enhance the patient experience,’’ said John K. Lloyd, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “The collaboration with Lyft represents the continuing evolution of Hackensack Meridian Health’s contribution to improving access to care for the people we serve.”

Hackensack Meridian Health’s JFK Medical Center in Edison began a pilot program in which team members arranged rides with Lyft for patients lacking transportation home. Instead of giving patients vouchers for taxis to return home in non-emergency cases, the hospital streamlined the process of arranging transportation through the command center. It now only takes seconds to request a ride.

Additionally, collaborating with Lyft creates more visibility for dispatch agents to monitor the progress of rides in real time. By using new data analytic tools and integrating software systems in the command center, the network will be able to anticipate the demand for rides and arrange Lyft vehicles accordingly so patients don’t have to wait.

JFK was also able to reduce transportation costs by 25 percent in three months partnering with Lyft.

“The excellent results from JFK’s pilot program are a great example of how Hackensack Meridian Health is innovatively collaborating with technology companies to break down barriers to health care,’’ said Garrett.

“In the coming months, Hackensack Meridian Health’s centralized command center plans a multi-phase expansion that will extend to all 16-network hospital campuses to deliver high reliability and compassionate health care that is both timely and safe,’’ said Lloyd.

Lyft’s New Jersey General Manager, Ann Ferracane is proud of the success of the program at HMH JFK Medical Center.

“We are excited to partner with Hackensack Meridian Health to help them leverage ride-sharing as a transportation solution as they expand their network to provide patients with greater access to the full continuum of care. We look forward to working alongside Hackensack Meridian Health and are committed to assisting them in their mission to improve access to patient-centered care for those who need help getting to their medical appointments.”

Each campus will be digitally mapped with designated pick-up and drop-off locations to help drivers and patients find one another. As a network-wide initiative, the impact of having a centralized command center will be to connect Lyft with patients, care coordinators and providers in an effort to reduce transportation barriers and improve access to health care services.

Another planned ride-share program expansion will include transporting patients participating in clinical trials where transportation is a barrier to and from the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center for scheduled treatments during the clinical trials.

ABOUT Hackensack Meridian Health

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 16 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers – Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children’s hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; 11 community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 450 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care and after-hours centers. Hackensack Meridian Health has 33,000 team members, and 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The network's notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey, including Hackensack University Medical Center which is ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For," one of the "20 Best Workplaces in Health Care" in the nation, and the number one "Best Place to Work for Women." Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.

About Lyft

Lyft was founded in June 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation. Lyft is the fastest growing rideshare company in the U.S. and is available to 95 percent of the US population as well as in Ontario, Canada. Lyft is preferred by drivers and passengers for its safe and friendly experience, and its commitment to effecting positive change for the future of our cities.

About Lyft Business

Lyft Business offers travel, commute, event, and courtesy ride solutions that provide customers with the tools they need to reduce cost, save time, and streamline their transportation programs. We partner with thousands of organizations to create unique solutions to move their people, from employees and customers to patients and students. To learn more about Lyft Business, visit: https://www.lyft.com/business