Patients who miss appointments or have to reschedule at the last minute frequently cite transportation as a factor. Now a new collaboration between Memorial Healthcare System and Uber aims to change that trend.
Through the partnership, a “Ride with Uber” feature will be prominently displayed on the Memorial Healthcare System website. Patients will be able to quickly find out the wait time and approximate cost of an Uber ride and set a ride reminder to automatically notify them before their scheduled appointment.
Memorial Healthcare System is a six-hospital network in South Broward County and one of the largest public healthcare systems in the nation. This collaboration will start with a pilot program at one of the System’s hospitals, Memorial Hospital Pembroke. Uber, a technology company evolving the way people move, is available in all parts of South Florida, including the Memorial Hospital Pembroke service area.
“Patients expect the same level of seamless integration in health care as they do in other aspects of their everyday life. Memorial Hospital Pembroke is focused on becoming a premier digital healthcare organization. Our partnership with Uber is one of many features of digital technology that we are making available to our patients to help them take care of their health and have a better experience,” said Mark Doyle, Memorial Hospital Pembroke’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is just the beginning.”
“Uber is a reliable option—day and night—regardless of where you need to access care,” said Uber South Florida General Manager Kasra Moshkani. “Our collaboration with Memorial Healthcare System is the first of its kind in South Florida and will help patients better plan their transportation to and from appointments, and ensure they never miss an appointment because they don’t have a ride.”
The collaboration with Uber is the latest way Memorial Healthcare System is making access to care easier. Over the past 20 years, Memorial Healthcare System has increased its number of care access points to six hospitals and many ancillary services throughout South Broward. It’s on track to open three new urgent care centers in 2016. In addition to bricks-and-mortar sites, Memorial Healthcare System also has made a significant commitment to using digital technology to help consumers find physicians and schedule appointments online, as well as a new Telehealth initiative called “MemorialDocNow.com”
