Sutter Physician Services Collaborates with Lyft to Enhance Patient Access to Appointments

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sutter Physician Services (SPS), a healthcare management and administrative services company, is collaborating with ride-hailing service Lyft to facilitate greater patient access to non-emergent healthcare appointments. SPS can now offer their national healthcare contact center customers access to a reliable transportation option for their patients who have challenges getting to appointments due to age, health, expense, location, or other documented needs. More than 3.6 million Americans miss or delay medical care each year because of transportation issues. This transportation can help alleviate patient health concerns amplified by delayed or missed appointments, as well as the financial implications for medical providers due to missed appointments.

Customers of SPS's registration, scheduling, and nurse advice services currently provided through its national contact center who have entered into an agreement with Lyft can have a Patient Service Representatives (PSR) use Lyft's web-based Concierge platform to schedule an immediate or future ride on behalf of their eligible patients. Patients are notified of the driver's identity and arrival via text message, and the medical providers use the dashboard to monitor the timing and status of the ride for predictability of scheduling. Return trips home can also be scheduled by either the PSR or the medical provider. Lyft's Concierge platform will be fully integrated with the contact center's workflows.

"Transportation can be a barrier for certain populations getting to their non-emergent medical appointments, and we're excited about this enabling technology solution we can provide to our customers and their patients to significantly increase access," said Jeremy Eaves, Chief Executive Officer at SPS. "With Lyft Concierge, our PSRs can offer patients rides to their appointments during the course of their call, and the patient doesn't need a mobile phone or the Lyft app to take advantage of the service."

"Our mission at Lyft is to improve people's lives with the world's best transportation, and giving patients better access to healthcare is well-aligned with this goal," said Gyre Renwick, head of healthcare partnerships at Lyft. "The ability to schedule rides on behalf of patients empowers SPS's patient service reps to provide access solutions to those in need, and helps remove current transportation barriers within communities."

For more information about services available through SPS's centralized healthcare contact center and our Lyft strategy, please visit SutterPhysicianServices.com/partnerships/Lyft or contact us at [email protected]. 

About Sutter Physician Services
Sutter Physician Services provides an array of administrative and clinical services to physician groups, hospitals, and integrated delivery networks nationwide, including revenue cycle management, accountable care solutions, and patient access solutions. SPS works with clients to enhance the patient experience, improve the health of populations, and reduce the per capita cost of health care. Established in 1999 as a Sutter Health affiliate, the organization has grown to become an industry leader. For more information, visit SutterPhysicianServices.com.

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 in more than 350 cities. 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. If you are interested in finding out more about Lyft's work in healthcare, head to lyft.com/healthcare.

For More Information:
Carol Misso, [email protected], 916.854.6588

SOURCE Sutter Physician Services

Related Links

http://www.sutterhealth.org