Local medical transportation service receives grant for veterans
Published 9:00 am Thursday, November 25, 2021
- Veteran Andrew Kristalyn, 96, and his wife Myrtle, of Hermiston, with CareVan volunteer driver Stephen, head home from a medical appointment Nov. 5, 2021. In the last 12 months, CareVan Medical Transportation Services completed nearly 80,000 miles of patient transports, totaling about 8,600 transports, of which 688 of those were for veterans.
HERMISTON — CareVan Medical Transportation Services in Hermiston recently received a $20,000 grant from the Rural Veterans Healthcare Transportation Program, according to a press release from Good Shepherd Health Care System.
The transportation program is a partnership between the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, Oregon Department of Public Transportation and Umatilla County. With the help from this grant, veterans living in CareVan’s service area are able to arrange transportation to Good Shepherd Health Care System for medical appointments, to pick up medical supplies and equipment, attend classes/support groups and more, according to the press release.
“This is a first-time grant awarded specifically to assist veterans. We greatly appreciate this grant and look forward to utilizing these funds to benefit our veterans,” stated Cindy Schaan, director of Volunteer Services and CareVan Medical Transportation Service supervisor.
“CareVan is great. We’ve used them several times and they are always on time and helpful to my wife and me in getting to our appointments,” Andrew Kristalyn, 96, said in the press release. He served three years in the U.S. Navy as a gunner on a tanker ship. He’s been a resident of Hermiston for 38 years.
CareVan’s service area is within west Umatilla County and north Morrow County including Hermiston, McNary, Boardman and Echo.
“In the last 12 months, CareVan provided 8,599 transports, of which 688 of those transports were for veterans. So this is a much-needed service for our local veterans,” according to Schaan.
The CareVan has been in operation since 2006 and provides on average around 20,000 miles of patient transports per quarter. CareVan also provides medication delivery to patients’ households within our service area.
Patients interested in this delivery service can call Good Shepherd’s Pharmacy at 541-667-3652 for which, in most cases, same-day delivery is possible.
Three ADA vehicles are used for transports with the support of two staff members and nine volunteer drivers. All rides are complimentary and donations are accepted.
CareVan is available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. To schedule a ride, call 541-667-3888. For more information visit, www.gshealth.org/carevan.
