young Asian man with face mask to protect and prevent from the spread of viruses in car

A new UberHealth partnership could help solve the transportation problem for both home and facility-based healthcare providers. The ride-share firm and on-demand workforce platform ShiftMed have teamed up to remove transportation barriers for more than 100,000 healthcare workers.

Under the deal, caregivers can use ShiftMed’s app to request rides from UberHealth to and from upcoming shifts. This partnership is aimed at helping healthcare caregivers overcome transportation barriers and expand the service areas that they cover. It will also help health professionals arrive on time and reduce last-minute cancellations.

“Transportation creates a barrier for more than 30% of frontline healthcare providers,” ShiftMed Chief Operations Officer Jacob Laufer said in a statement. “Our care-integrated solution with Uber Health reduces the need for car ownership in urban settings and increases access to shifts in rural settings where public transportation options are limited.” 

ShiftMed is also making the technology available to partnering healthcare providers to help with their own shift coverage and retention activities. This includes Uber vouchers as part of their internal loyalty programs to reward employees and incentivize exceptional patient care. The company said it is also designed to help providers increase the continuity and quality of care to patients. 

“Our mission at Uber Health is to improve access to care,” Caitlin Donovan, global head of Uber Health, said in a statement. “We understand that one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare today is the critical staffing shortage. We’re constantly exploring new ways to better support the existing labor pool and help recruit new clinicians.” 

The two companies say the service could help solve the caregiver crisis by providing a useful benefit to workers that will keep them on the job.
UberHealth has formed partnerships with aging service providers, such as Papa, to help seniors in underserved communities get to medical appointments, community events