Need to get to the hospital? Charlotte Medic says try Uber or Lyft instead of ambulance
Amid staffing shortages due to COVID-19, Mecklenburg County emergency officials are hoping more people will take advantage of a recently introduced partnership with ride-share companies to get to area hospitals.
The program, which allows low-risk patients to take a Lyft or Uber to the hospital rather than an ambulance is a “safe and appropriate” way to get care, Medic officials this week.
Here’s how it works.
How does Medic’s rideshare program work?
The ride-share program launched in the Charlotte area in October and serves patients who are considered low-risk, Medic Deputy Director Jon Studnek said at a Monday news conference.
Medic officials said previously that the program is part of a partnership with Circulation, a company that works with ride-share providers to bring ride-sharing services to the medical community.
The rideshares, via Lyft or Uber, are offered to certain patients who call 911 with low-risk issues, such as relatively minor injuries and “generalized illness,” who first speak with a “nurse advice line,” according to Studnek.
Some people who are offered a rideshare still prefer to take an ambulance, he added, but that can often lead to longer wait times for the patient.
“You’ll likely get a Lyft or an Uber to take you to your destination much quicker than you would an ambulance,” he said.
There have been 109 successful Lyft trips since Oct. 1, Medic spokesman Lester Oliva said, and Studnek explained Medic would like to see that number increase.
“We’re offering (a rideshare) to you because the questions you have answered during telephone triage indicate that it is a very safe and appropriate method to transport you to a hospital,” he said.
Patients don’t need to have the Lyft or Uber app and can communicate with drivers via text message, Medic said in October.
Studnek previously said using a rideshare service instead of an ambulance is also cost-saving, often the difference between a more than $1,000 charge and less than $20. And Medic covers the cost of the rideshare, Oliva confirmed.
More changes to Medic services
Medic said Monday it was extending its target response time for certain low-risk patients to 60 minutes or less, up from 30 minutes or less.
And Medic officials said this week Mecklenburg EMS has again requested federal assistance in the form of “ambulance strike teams” to help address staffing issues brought on by COVID-19.
The agency will also limit for 30 days the number of “non-emergency transports” it performs.
Charlotte Observer reporter Jonathan Limehouse contributed to this story.
This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 3:51 PM.
