Chelsea Hospital earns award for developing shuttle service
Information from Trinity Health Michigan
The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) recently announced that Chelsea Hospital was selected to receive the 2022 MHA Ludwig Community Benefit Award for its development of the Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) Stockbridge-Manchester Shuttle.
The WAVE Shuttle is a very successful community benefit program that helped address issues of social isolation and lack of transportation, which can contribute to poor health outcomes for residents of Stockbridge and Manchester
“Our medical teams recognize that patients from Stockbridge and Manchester often experience barriers to care, such as access to safe and reliable transportation, so we are really pleased to be able to engage with our community partners to address this critical issue for so many,” Reiley Curran, MPH, Chelsea Hospital community health improvement manager, said. “I commend our Chelsea Hospital team, and those working with us at Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express, for being a supportive, healing presence for our patients and the communities we serve.”
The free public transporation initiative launched on Aug. 3, 2020. In its first 18 months, the shuttle provided 1,005 rides, more than two-thirds of them for disabled riders. The service is available to all ages.
As part of the agreement with WAVE, the hospital purchased a 12-passenger van with a wheelchair lift, and provided funding to support weekday service between Stockbridge, Manchester and Chelsea on scheduled days.
The shuttle is not limited to health care appointments. Passengers may take the shuttle for trips to the grocery store, medical appointments, pharmacy visits or for shopping trips.
Passengers also may use additional WAVE bus routes once they are in Chelsea, which travel throughout Chelsea as well as into Dexter and Ann Arbor. Reservations are encouraged. Travel on the other WAVE routes may require a fee.
For more information about the shuttle and for seating reservations, please call WAVE at 734-475-9494.
