Kaptur: Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio Awarded $133,300
-- Program Provides Transit Vouchers for Pre-Natal and Well-Baby Visits --
Washington, DC — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) today joined the Department of Transportation to announce that the Ohio Department of Transportation will receive $133,000 to fund the “Mommy and Me Ride for Free” program on behalf of the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio. The competitive grant was awarded by the Federal Transit Administration, an agency within the Department of Transportation.
This project was selected to receive funding under the FY2016 Pilot Program for Innovative Coordinated Access & Mobility (Rides to Wellness) competition.
From the grant award announcement: “The project, which improves coordination and access in Lucas County by leveraging existing transportation options, will provide pregnant women and women with infants access to transportation. Using the TARPS and TARTA transit systems, women will increase their access to healthcare, leading to better birth outcomes and improved health status for both mother and baby.”
“This addresses an immediate need in the Toledo area to expand access to pre-natal and well-baby care for young mothers,” said Congresswoman Kaptur. “The costs of transportation can often be a primary barrier to accessing important health care visits for expecting moms and mothers with newborns, infants and young children. I am pleased the Hospital Council, the Toledo Area Regional Transportation Authority, and Toledo Area Regional Paratransit Service have sought a collaborative solution to address this need.
In August 2016, Kaiser Health News, a leading health care journal, reported on a 2013 analysis of 25 studies which found that 10 to 51 percent of patients reported that lack of transportation is a barrier to health care access. One of those studies showed that 82 percent of those who kept their appointments had access to cars, while 58 percent of those who did not keep appointments had that access. Another study reported bus users were twice as likely to skip on appointments compared to car users.
Kaptur is a senior member the House Appropriations Committee, which funds and has oversight responsibilities for the Department of Transportation.
For more information:
Background on the Department of Transportation grant: https://grants.ost.dot.gov/public/ViewMessage.cfm?MsgID=ffylobhiti
Background on the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio: https://www.hcno.org/health-improvement-initiatives/lucas-county-foundation.html
Kaiser Health News article cited above: https://www.leadertelegram.com/Features/2016/08/31/Ride-options.html
Background on the Toledo Area Regional Transportation Authority (TARTA): https://tarta.com/services/tarps/