Since launching successful partnerships with Columbia, Md.-based MedStar Health in January and the Boston-based startup Circulation in September, Uber has hired an outreach team to work with healthcare providers to accommodate the growing demand for health-based services, according to MobiHealthNews.
Lindsay Elin, head of federal and community affairs at Uber, spoke on a panel at the Connected Health Conference in Washington D.C. Tuesday. She mentioned a number of initiatives the company has undertaken to increase its footprint in the healthcare industry. Two of those programs are UberAssist and UberFamily. UberAssist aims to provide drivers with special training to help passengers with special needs. UberFamily allows an individual to request a ride for a family member.
Ms. Elin said the company plans to expand pilot programs like Circulation and UberCentral ─ the service MedStar Health uses in place of taxis to get patients to and from hospital appointments ─ to additional hospitals in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Delaware within the next year, according to the article.
"Today, 75 percent of the U.S. lives in a county where they have access to Uber," said Ms. Elin. "Uber is really expanding transportation options available to those who might otherwise be underserved or not have access to a range of transportation options. Specific constituencies are certainly being served by Uber such as the disability community, the elderly, and low income communities. We firmly believe…partnerships with healthcare providers, senior centers, and transit agencies [can help us] do even more and reach more people."