Health Connector: An Inclusive Mobility Experience from Beginning to End, a joint project of the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) and the Dallas County Pubic Health Department, was unveiled Monday with a ribbon cutting at the Dallas County Hospital in Perry.
The project aims to improve access to healthcare by reducing transportation barriers and accessibility barriers. Monday’s event involved a demonstration of the Health Connector kiosk and other wayfinding components now housed at the Dallas County Hospital.
“It is a really neat project and was one of only a few funded nationwide,” said Abigail Chihak, Dallas County Public Health Department community health administrator, “so we are really blessed to have it here in Dallas County. We are piloting this project, but hope to be able to expand across the metro to all our hospital systems after showing success here in Dallas County.”
The Health Connector platform addresses the needs and challenges faced by various populations in Dallas County in accessing healthcare services. The objective, according to the website, is “to ensure enhanced and equal access to healthcare options for all residents, with a specific focus on groups such as persons with disabilities, individuals with low income, older adults, veterans and those with limited English proficiency.”
HIRTA partnered on Health Connector with Arcadis, Capture Management Solutions, the Community Transportation Association of America, the Dallas County Health Department, Flexlynqs, the Institute for Transportation at Iowa State University, and Via to create Health Connector: An Inclusive Mobility Experience from Beginning to End (Health Connector).
The U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO) awarded HIRTA a pilot under the ITS4US Deployment Program for the Health Connector concept.
Cutting the ribbon on the start of the Health Connector project Monday were Dallas County Public Health Department Community Health Administrator Abigail Chihak, DCH CEO Angela Mortoza, DCH Care Coordinator Jocelyn Monzon and DCH Marketing Director Tom Harmsen, HIRTA Executive Director Julia Catillo, HIRTA Business Manager Brooke Ramsey and HIRTA staff member Ed Weiss, Capture Management’s Emily Koss and Carl Lingen and the Perry Chamber’s Lynsi Pasutti and Tiffany Olejniczak.
