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New shuttle service aims to bridge health care gap in East Gainesville

A map of the MOD zones outlines points of interest, apartment complexes and medical centers within the East Gainesville area. (Courtesy of the City of Gainesville)
A map of the MOD zones outlines points of interest, apartment complexes and medical centers within the East Gainesville area. (Courtesy of the City of Gainesville)

Accessing health care isn’t just about finding a doctor for many East Gainesville residents.

It’s about finding a way to get there.

Mobility on Demand (MOD) is a new initiative that aims to solve this issue. It provides free transportation to clinics, health care screenings and other essential community resources. The service takes residents to any destination within the East Gainesville MOD zone.

Paul Myers is the administrator of the Alachua County Health Department. The department has provided health care in East Gainesville for decades. It is the primary source for the uninsured and underinsured in the area, he said.

“Some of the biggest challenges we see are transportation and getting to doctor’s appointments,” Myers said.

East Gainesville has long faced challenges in health care access. Even with the opening of the area’s first urgent care center, the community continues to experience barriers.

A sign directs visitors to parking at UF Health’s Urgent Care Center in Eastside. The center is just one of the MOD locations that aim to expand health care access for the community. (Sofia Bravo/WUFT News)
A sign directs visitors to parking at UF Health’s Urgent Care Center in Eastside. The center is just one of the MOD locations that aim to expand health care access for the community. (Sofia Bravo/WUFT News)

Claire Mandiye, 60, has lived in Gainesville for 22 years. She drives people in the area to appointments through Uber. Her riders confide in her about their experiences with transportation difficulties.

“It’s very difficult for them because if they have health issues, they have a walker or a wheelchair,” she said.

People who are disabled, sick or have children experience these barriers to health care, Mandiye said. Part of the issue is not having enough money for a car, and the other part is public transportation, she added.

“The buses don’t run very well,” Mandiye said. “Someone could be standing in the hot sun on the side of the road with a walker, they’re going to pass out.”

Mandiye is partially disabled and cannot help lift wheelchair users into her car. People in wheelchairs and with medical issues using shuttles instead of Uber would be much easier for them, she said.

Residents can schedule shuttles to come to their door through the RTS Connect App or by calling 352-393-RIDE. MOD vehicles run weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and rides can be scheduled up to seven days in advance.

Selina Gould, 35, was born and raised in Gainesville. As a licensed massage therapist, she said that people should have full access to health care, no matter their transportation barriers.

Gould said she hopes the program empowers people to take charge of their health by enabling them to get to appointments they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to get to.

“Sometimes you have to opt out because it’s just not affordable,” she said.

MOD operates within East Gainesville. It takes residents to important locations such as the new UF Health Urgent Care Center, the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County and the Cone Park Branch of the Alachua County Library.

The program is a refresh of the First Mile/Last Mile program – a previous shuttle service that took people from their homes to the bus stop. MOD targets East Gainesville because most residents depend on getting rides, and the closest bus stop for them is about a mile away, Mayor Harvey Ward said.

“It incorporates the idea of making sure folks could get to at least some doctor visits through a program that’s already funded,” he said.

According to a city of Gainesville release, the service is funded through the local option gas tax. That means it is not an additional tax, but rather a portion of the local gas tax is allocated for projects like this, Ward said. He said he wants to be able to implement more MOD zones around the city, especially in the northwest area.

“If we could expand programs such as this,” he said, “that changes lives for 400 people just instantly.”

Sofia is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.