GMTA and UVM Health Network-CVMC offer FREE shuttle service to Barre City and Barre Town.
Barre, VT — Last year, University of Vermont Health Network-Central Vermont Medical Center (UVMHN-CVMC) recognized a need for residents within Barre City and Barre Town who were looking to access healthcare services at Barre Health Center through public transportation. This was challenging since public transportation options were limited as Barre Health Center is located outside Green Mountain Transit Agency’s (GMTA) fixed route services, accessible only through deviated service request or demand response. This was recognized as a key barrier for patients who were trying to use public transportation to access health care services at BHC. GMTA and CVMC believe that transportation is the key in providing residents with transportation to easily access the healthcare they need to live a heather life.
Today, GMTA and UVMHN-CVMC have partnered to provide FREE shuttle service to the Barre Health Center and beginning March 2015 the Granite City Primary Care in Barre City. Open to the general public and fare free, this service provides flexible transportation to Barre City and Barre Town areas, including Graniteville, East Barre, South Barre and Websterville. “Transportation is one of the top issues we see every time we conduct a community assessment,” noted Judy Tartaglia, UVMHN-CVMC president and CEO. “We are not in the transportation business and thus welcome this opportunity to partner with GMTA, an organization that has the infrastructure to help fill this transportation gap in Barre.
The Barre Heath Care Center is a primary care practice providing a wide range of medical services from health maintenance examinations to minor surgical procedures to oncology services to over 9,000 patients. With an aging population and an increase in preventative health care initiatives, future patient growth is anticipated which will create an even greater need for access to the healthcare services at UVMHN-CVMC. While Granite City Primary Care is expected to open in March with an additional 1,200 clients being served, the current primary patient base is located in the Barre City and Barre Town area.
GMTA and UVMHN-CVMC understand how necessary the collaboration of health care and public transportation is when addressing the health care needs of the community. The education of staff, patients and the general public on how to utilize available public transportation options to access healthcare will be the key to this programs success.
The UVMHN-CVMC Barre Heath Center shuttle is demand response service and operates Monday – Friday, 8AM – 2PM, fare FREE. For more information on how to request a ride, call GMTA at 802-223-7287 or visit us online at GMTAride.org
About CCTA: Green Mountain Transit Agency (GMTA) is the rural portion of the regional public transportation provider known as the Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA). GMTA is the public transportation provider for Washington, Lamoille, Mad River Valley, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties and the towns of Williamstown, Washington and Orange, with connecting services to Chittenden and Caledonia counties. GMTA offers an array of public transportation services including fixed route, deviated fixed route, demand response, commuter, health care and shopping shuttles, community shuttles, winter seasonal service and special individual service for those who qualify. All services are available to the general public and are ADA accessible.
About CVMC: The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center is part of a four-hospital system established to deliver high quality academic medicine to every community we serve. Our partners in The University of Vermont Health Network are Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, The University of Vermont Medical Center and Elizabethtown Community Hospital.