Ride Health Expands Transportation Services to Support Hospitals and Health Plans Through COVID-19 Challenges
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Novant Health among customers taking advantage of company's food delivery, safe transportation and contact tracing capabilities amid pandemic
Ray West named President and Chief Operating Officer of Ride Health
NEW YORK, July 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ride Health, coordinating smarter transportation for every patient need, has expanded its core offerings to launch several new COVID-19 related products and services to support the needs of constituents across the healthcare spectrum.
With these updates, health systems and health plans across the country are now using Ride Health's cloud-based transportation coordination platform to provide safe rides for patients and staff; to deliver food and supplies to patients' homes; and to enable contact tracing of passengers and drivers who have been exposed to or diagnosed with COVID-19.
To speed delivery of these services, Ride Health has launched Rapid Deployment, enabling healthcare organizations to quickly provide comprehensive transportation programs that help with patient discharges, transfers and access to crucial medical treatments that cannot be postponed. The program allows organizations to launch transportation programs in a matter of days, without upfront costs or long-term commitments.
COVID-19 Equipped Transportation Network
In addition to its current 50-state network of providers, Ride Health has expanded its fleet in states including Illinois, North Carolina, and New York by contracting with additional high-quality transportation providers that have the appropriate policies, procedures, and equipment to safely transport patients with a presumptive or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. To access these providers, Ride Health has also built a native COVID-19 screening tool into its standard platform. During the process of a trip request submission, a user will be prompted with key COVID-19 related questions to identify at-risk passengers. After submitting the trip request, a patient's at-risk for COVID-19 status is automatically factored into the Ride Health platform's decision logic to determine the appropriate driver and vehicle.
Staff and Clinician Transport
Healthcare providers across the country have also faced transportation challenges for their front-line workers. For health systems located in urban areas, service reductions in public transit has prompted organizations to implement employee transportation programs. Other clients, such as North Carolina-based Novant Health, have turned to Ride Health to provide safe transportation for team members that may have been exposed to COVID-19.
Food Delivery for Vulnerable Populations
Beyond access to care, social distancing and shelter-in-place guidelines have created significant challenges for those facing factors associated with social determinants of health. Through partnerships with local food banks and grocery stores, health plan clients including Harvard Pilgrim Health Care have broadened their services to leverage the Ride Health transportation network to provide contactless delivery of food and supplies to eligible members in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
Tech-Enabled Contact Tracing
Ride Health has also implemented new standardized programs to reduce the spread of the coronavirus by leveraging the platform's real-time geospatial tracking and data capture. For any instances where a passenger reports a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and/or exposure, Ride Health can rapidly identify the associated vehicles and drivers. After identification, Ride Health sends out HIPAA-compliant notifications to alert transportation providers enabling them to take the necessary precautions including vehicle sanitization and driver self-quarantine.
"We understand the ever-evolving complexities surrounding this pandemic and we've strived to adapt our product and services to support current and future needs of healthcare stakeholders and as we enter this new normal," said Imran Cronk, Founder and CEO of Ride Health.
Ray West Named President and COO
In addition to building new capabilities to meet its customers' evolving needs, Ride Health continues to build out its leadership team. The latest addition to the team is Ray West, who brings 25 years of experience leading high-growth technology companies to the new roles of President and Chief Operating Officer.
West was most recently Chief Growth Officer of Chicago-based Maestro Health, an employee health and benefits company where he previously served as COO and Executive Vice President of Software Development. Before that, West was Senior Vice President of Technology for Alegeus Technologies, which was acquired by Maestro Health in 2014; and founder of Workable Solutions, which was acquired by Alegeus in 2013.
"We are excited to welcome Ray to the Ride Health team," said Cronk. "Ray's experience scaling businesses that depend on a harmonious alignment across product, client relationships and 24/7 field operations will accelerate progress toward our mission to ensure that every patient, everywhere, has access to the care they need."
About Ride Health
Ride Health partners with healthcare organizations and transportation network providers to manage transportation benefits, strengthen enterprise transportation programs, and drive intelligent transitions of care. We blend technology and data with a human approach to break down access barriers and solve some of the biggest transportation challenges that care coordinators, providers, and payers face. Our platform maps out each patient's unique needs and preferences for the best ride experience across clinical and social needs, ensuring greater access, improved efficiencies, lower costs, and better outcomes. Learn more at www.ridehealth.com.
Media Contact:
Todd Stein
Todd Stein Communications
[email protected]
510-417-0612
SOURCE Ride Health
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