JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Seniors who live in retirement communities in Riverside are concerned about accessing medical care after learning Ascension St. Vincent’s is ending its free shuttle service.
The shuttle picks up people where they are and takes them to their appointments at no cost. Many seniors who live in communities like the Presbyterian House in Riverside depend on it.
“We don’t really have any way to get to the doctor other than that shuttle bus,” Joe Robison said.
Robison takes the Ascension St. Vincent’s shuttle to get to his doctors appointments from his home at Riverside Presbyterian House at least once a month.
“They go all over the place for us,” Robison said.
He said it could affect as many as one hundred people out of his building alone.
Leslie Holmes told News4JAX she and many of her neighbors at the Riverside Presbyterian Apartments have also relied on it for years.
“Over half the building, because most of the seniors don’t have transportation,” Holmes said. “They don’t have vehicles because they can’t drive anymore.”
But the shuttle service is ending June 30. Holmes said a sign was posted around her apartment building earlier this month, notifying them the service would be discontinued.
Holmes tells News4JAX there are petitions in the apartment buildings to keep the shuttle service going, and they’re hopeful Ascension St. Vincent’s will reverse course.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the health system said, ”Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside care teams are committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all patients and families in our community. In May, we notified patients that, after careful consideration, we will be ending courtesy shuttle services at our Riverside campus, effective June 30.”
They suggest patients may want to start using Uber, taxis, JTA or JTA Connexion, which provides transportation for those with disabilities.
Holmes and Robison say ride services can add up. “So some of the people here want to get a bus pass, those that are able to get down to Riverside avenue to get the bus,” Holmes said.
“I actually have a power wheelchair...I could probably go down there with but if it’s going to be a rainy day like today, that wouldn’t be an option,” Robison said.
“I mean, right now, we don’t pay anything, but we’d be willing to pay two or three dollars a trip to get there and get back. You know, we just can’t afford anything expensive,” Holmes said.
Ascension St. Vincent’s didn’t respond to our question asking why the service is being stopped. Robison and Holmes believe it’s about money.
“My message is St. Vincent’s is...think about the patients. If you have all these patients that can’t get there, you’re gonna lose a lot of them,” Holmes said.
You can find information about JTA Connexion, which offers low-cost transportation to those with disabilities, here.