Healthcare Access

Access to healthcare for everyone is about far more than just affordable insurance. Is information presented in a way that most people can understand? Are appointments offered when people can get to them? Are community health care systems open and inviting to all? And on a basic level, is transportation available for people who might not have their own cars to get to a provider? Affordable private transportation and public transportation options are limited in the rural communities of the Monadnock region, especially for vulnerable populations. This makes a sustained spirit of volunteerism vital to community health.

Our Goal

Improve access to healthcare through transportation via increased availability of volunteer drivers to positively impact health, well-being, and independence.

Our Current Projects

Volunteer Driver Program

We know that in our rural region, access to public transportation is a challenge. Through feedback from our Community Health Needs Assessment, it was clear that lack of transportation is also a barrier to accessing healthcare. The Community Volunteer Transportation Company (CVTC) responded by expanding their Volunteer Driver program. This program aims to increase the number of volunteer drivers as well as adding more towns with volunteer drivers—reducing the overall “round-trip” time. This program began expanding in 2018 and provides education and awareness about this local resource to both the new potential volunteer drivers as well as people in the Monadnock region who would benefit from increased access to publicly available transportation.