Every day of the week, a fleet of specialty vans traverse King County to bring Providence ElderPlace participants safely and conveniently to the centers in South or West Seattle or to other destinations.

Such caring door-to-door transportation is a regular benefit provided by ElderPlace and is one of the services that make the program of all-inclusive care so unique.

"For seniors, it's especially important for them to have reliable transportation to get to and from their appointments," said Leo Dickens, ElderPlace's transportation coordinator.

Each van includes a driver and usually an assistant who helps participants - many who need walkers or wheelchairs - get safely to and from their destinations.

The service goes beyond door-to-door delivery; the ElderPlace drivers become extremely familiar with the participants and will notice if something seems unusual, Dickens said. In such cases, the driver or assistant will alert the ElderPlace medical team about their observation.

"We're the first eyes and the last eyes to see participants after they leave the center," Dickens said. "It's real important to have our transportation staff report back if something doesn't seem right. It helps the doctors and the rest of the team, because we do have a great team approach to health care."

ElderPlace's transportation fleet consists of 14 vehicles - three minivans and 11 full-sized vans. The facility also contracts with Tri-Med Ambulance for unscheduled trips that can't otherwise be accommodated. ElderPlace conducts nearly 5,000 trips per month and covers all of King County.

In addition to bringing participants to one of the ElderPlace facilities for their regular weekly visits with doctors, nurses, social workers and others, ElderPlace drivers will transport participants to other locations, such as to specialists who don't come to the centers, surgeons, or to tour other homes where they might be considering moving.

All ElderPlace drivers receive training under the Community Transportation Association of America, which is based in Washington, DC.  The training ensures that each driver has the expertise required to serve vulnerable populations.

The process to get them to the centers in South and West Seattle involves complex coordination. Like an orchestra conductor, the ElderPlace dispatcher must synchronize the rides of 14 vehicles and more than 200 trips each day, equaling about 5,000 trips per month.

This coordination begins with scheduled routes that cover certain geographic areas. Generally, we pick up from different areas on different days of the week. However, if a participant needs to be brought to one of the centers or taken to another location when it's not their geographic area's pick-up day, we will accommodate them. One of our regular routes is called the "extra route," with the sole purpose of making unscheduled trips. In addition to our own fleet, we contract with Tri-Med Ambulance for unscheduled or non-routine rides.

We use Easy Rides Dispatching computer program to help coordinate our trips. However, our biggest asset is the dispatcher who knows the local geography. We have to know the area to know the best order for the pick-ups and drop-offs.

In addition to driving to and from the ElderPlace centers, we transport participants to appointments at hospitals or other healthcare settings and also to tours of homes they are considering moving to. The process is complex, but it's a vital service for participants and one we are happy to provide.