MedStar Health, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, and Uber, a technology company that is evolving the way people move, recently announced a collaboration to give patients a new option for ensuring they can get to and from healthcare appointments. Patients who miss appointments or have to reschedule at the last minute frequently cite transportation as a factor.
Through this relationship, a “Ride with Uber” button is now prominently displayed on MedStarStMarys.org. MedStar patients will be able to quickly find out the wait time and approximate cost of a ride and then request one. They also will be able to set a ride reminder to automatically notify them an hour before their appointment and keep them on schedule.
“Patients expect the same level of seamless integration in health care as they do in other aspects of their everyday life. MedStar is focused on becoming a premier digital healthcare organization. Our partnership with Uber is but one small step toward a future in which technology-enabled patient engagement rivals other industries that have been disrupted by digital technology,” said Michael Ruiz, MedStar vice president and chief digital officer.
Uber is available throughout the MedStar service area, which extends from north of Baltimore to Washington, D.C., northern Virginia and Southern Maryland. This collaboration offers patients another convenient way to move from home or office to any one of MedStar’s 10 hospitals or hundreds of outpatient locations and urgent cares, all with the touch of a button.
“Our collaboration with MedStar can help patients better plan their transportation to and from appointments, and ensure they never miss an appointment because they don’t have a ride,” said Zuhairah Washington, general manager of Uber DC.
The collaboration with Uber is the latest way MedStar is making access to care easier. During the past seven years, MedStar has increased its number of care access points from 95 in 2007 to 253 in 2014, not counting its 10 hospitals. It plans to open six new outpatient centers in 2016. In addition to bricks-and-mortar sites, MedStar also has made a significant commitment to using digital technology to help consumers find physicians and schedule appointments online.
