RIDE UNITED: CONNECTING PATIENTS TO CARE

Access to healthcare shouldn’t depend on whether someone has reliable transportation. Yet for many individuals in southeastern Idaho, getting to a medical appointment, counseling session, or recovery support service can be a significant challenge.

Through Ride United, United Way of Southeastern Idaho helps remove that barrier by providing free transportation for eligible patients receiving services through the Pocatello Free Clinic, Health West, the Southeast Idaho Behavioral Crisis Center, and Center for Hope South. Through our partnership with Rides R Us, transportation is provided for rides that are scheduled directly by these partner agencies for their eligible patients and clients.

Since launching in 2022, Ride United has provided more than 4,300 rides and traveled nearly 27,000 miles, helping patients access medical care, behavioral health services, counseling appointments, and recovery support. The program ensures that transportation challenges do not prevent individuals from receiving the care they need to improve their health and well-being.

The impact is significant. More than 61% of riders report they would have missed healthcare appointments without Ride United. By helping patients keep appointments, maintain treatment plans, and access preventive care, the program supports better health outcomes while reducing costly emergency interventions and medical debt.

As Ride United continues to grow, so does the network of organizations committed to its success. This past year, United Way is proud to welcome PacificSource and Healthy Blue Idaho as new funding partners. Their investments strengthen the program’s long-term sustainability and reflect a shared commitment to removing transportation barriers, improving access to care, and building healthier communities. These new partnerships complement the ongoing support of our healthcare providers, community organizations, Rides R Us, donors, and other funding partners who make Ride United possible.

Ride United is more than a transportation program, it is a bridge to healthcare, recovery, and hope. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and community partners, patients can focus on healing rather than worrying about how they will get to their next appointment.

Together with our healthcare and behavioral health partners, we are ensuring that transportation is never the reason a patient misses critical care. Ride United serves eligible clients of the Pocatello Free Clinic, Health West, the Southeast Idaho Behavioral Crisis Center, and Center for Hope South, with transportation coordinated directly through those agencies and provided through our partnership with Rides R Us to help patients access the services that support their health and recovery.