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In the van By JOHN DARLING Lu Vabora of Medford used to be able to jump in the car and go whenever and wherever she wanted. But a full knee replacement has left her house-bound as she recovers. If it weren�t for the free Medi-Van service available at the local hospitals, she wouldn�t be able to attend her six weeks of therapy. "It�s a godsend," she said. "I�m the only driver in the family now, and it was going to be a real hardship for me. Friends say �call me for a ride anytime,� but I prefer not to take advantage of them, because they help me get to the store." Medi-Van is one of several services offering free or low-cost medical transportation in answer to a rapidly growing need among local seniors. In addition to Medi-Van at Providence Medford Medical Center and Rogue Valley Medical Center, rides are provided by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Rogue Valley Transportation District, taxi companies and newly formed, five-county Translink. The hospitals offer free van rides to seniors with any weekday medical appointments, regardless of whether they�re outpatients from the hospitals. Medi-Vans are driven by eight volunteers who may be anything from former truck drivers to air traffic controllers, said ride coordinator Joan Becker. More volunteers are needed, she said. "It�s a very personal service and drivers often get involved with patients, so they notice when a patient has skipped a day or they make arrangements with a fellow church member to help get them ready or accompany them on a trip." Hospital ride coordinators often go beyond the call of duty, contacting doctors� offices to schedule appointments for seniors who can�t hear or focus long enough to ride out the voice-mail system, said Becker. Providence�s first van was donated by Crater Lake Ford when it started the Medi-Van program in 1986. It has since raised funds at its Festival of Trees for the $35,000, wheelchair-accessible vehicles. "Without a Medi-Van, they couldn�t afford to get there," said Providence Senior Services Director Karen Bartalini. "Their neighbors may offer help, but they�re usually in as bad a shape as the patient. Their children have to work and can�t take time for obligations like a three-times-weekly dialysis." Hospital vans may make six to 12 trips a day, fewer if they have to pick up patients in distant rural areas. They�re booked weeks in advance. Drivers prefer if a family member comes along to help. They don�t take Alzheimer�s patients without escorts. Rogue Valley Medical Center uses 11 volunteer drivers to operate its two vans, racking up over 42,000 trips a year with a goal of "keeping people independent, so they�re not relying on working families," said program manager Sharon Young. "Some have no other way and the taxi is pretty expensive," she said. When the hospitals need backup help, they call RSVP�s Call-a-Ride, RVTD�s Valley Lift or taxi companies which operate vans under contract from RVTD. Using personal vehicles, Call-a-Ride volunteers transport senior patients to medical appointments, with other stops at pharmacies, banks and markets thrown in, said coordinator Michele Jones. "We pair senior volunteers with other seniors, so there�s a lot of friendship and compassion. The drivers go above and beyond, often bringing groceries to them if they�re in difficulty. It allows them to remain independent and in their homes much longer." Patients pay a token $22 a year for the service, which does not handle wheelchairs. Patients, however, may get from curb to office in wheelchairs provided by doctors. "It�s been very rewarding and they have the most compassionate and helpful drivers," said patient Marie Casilio, 69, of Medford. "They come to the door and help you however they can. It�s easy to become friends with them. Frankly, I couldn�t exist without them." Seniors covered by Medicaid or the Oregon Health Plan are provided rides through the new Translink, a Medford-based brokerage that arranges rides with commercial providers in five counties: Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Coos and Curry, said RVTD manager Sherrin Coleman, who directs the program. The patient base is 65,000 people. "Our area has seen tremendous growth in the number of seniors, and with age, you get a diminished capacity to drive. There�s a lot of need out there and, although we�re doing better than many areas, there are not that many providers." RVTD also operates Valley Lift, providing door-to-door van service for anyone covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Seniors unable to get on regular buses may qualify for van rides, which are provided under contract with local taxis. The cost is $2 a ride, a fraction of taxi fare. All fixed-route RVTD buses are wheelchair accessible and offer half-fare, 50-cent rides for seniors. The Senior Shopper Express provides $1, door-to-door rides to a list of stores. For seniors in Shady Cove and beyond, the Upper Rogue Community Center offers weekday, door-to-door, wheelchair-accessible rides to medical or any other destinations, said Director Jaqui Brite. Seniors may join the center for $5 a year, then get round-trip rides anywhere in the county for $2 to $8. Using three vans, the center provides about 350 rides a month, throwing in a monthly fun outing to area lakes for $2. John Darling is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. If you have story ideas for Prime Times, e-mail him at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.