Ford Takes Non-Emergency Medical Transport Services National

Ford Takes Non-Emergency Medical Transport Services National
A little over a year ago, American carmaker Ford announced it is entering the non-medical-emergency transportation segment with its own service. Called GoRide, the service has been field tested in Southeast Michigan since April 2018, and this year it will expand nationwide.

Ford Takes Non-Emergency Medical Transport Services National

The non-medical-emergency transportation segment is an extremely lucrative one. According to a study by the Transit Cooperative Research Program, this market is worth in excess of $3 billion.

The first new state to be covered by Ford's GoRide expansion is Ohio. It will be followed by the end of the year by Florida, and in 2020 by North Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, and California.

The decision to expand the service came as a result of the positive feedback received from the tests that took place in Michigan. Ford says its cars achieved a 95 percent on-time rate, with an average waiting time of between ten and twenty minutes.

“GoRide Health is gaining momentum because it is a reliable, human-centered service for people whose very lives depend on making their medical appointments,” said in a statement Minyang Jiang, CEO of GoRide Health.

“Despite a critical and growing need across our country, most patients are unable to find reliable transportation and drivers who understand their needs. GoRide Health can fill that gap.”

GoRide comprises Ford vehicles, including modified vans for transporting patients with special needs, that can be reserved in advance by patients to make sure they don't miss their appointments. Such events, coupled with scheduling inefficiencies are, according to SCI solutions, the cause of $150 billion a year losses for the American medical system.

To make as much money as possible from GoRide, Ford will also expand its scope to serve as an alternative transport solution for city residents. In Dayton, Ohio and surrounding regions, Ford GoRide vans will also be used as first- and last-mile solutions.

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