Memorial Health System’s new transportation for patient services – WTAP

Report on Memorial Health System’s New Patient Transport Initiative

Executive Summary: Partnership and Sustainable Development Goals

Memorial Health System has announced a strategic partnership with Vesper Medical Transport to establish an internal patient transport company, scheduled to commence operations in February 2026. This initiative is a significant step towards achieving several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily focusing on enhancing healthcare infrastructure, promoting well-being, and fostering community resilience.

Alignment with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The core objective of the new transport service is to improve patient care and access, directly contributing to SDG 3. By creating a dedicated transport system, Memorial Health System aims to ensure timely and efficient movement of patients between its facilities.

• Enhanced Access to Care: The service will transport patients from freestanding emergency departments in Belpre and Athens to the main hospital in Marietta, ensuring access to comprehensive medical services.
• Specialized Treatment Facilitation: Patients requiring specific treatments, such as radiation therapy in Belpre, will be transported by a dedicated crew, guaranteeing continuity of care.
• Improved Service Efficiency: The internal system will prioritize Memorial Health System patients, which is expected to reduce transfer times and improve overall service speed.
• Equitable Access: Officials confirm there will be no changes to coverage or costs for patients, ensuring that improved services remain accessible and do not create financial barriers.

Contribution to SDG 9 and SDG 8: Infrastructure, Innovation, and Economic Growth

The decision to internalize transport services reflects an investment in resilient infrastructure and local economic development, aligning with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

1. Infrastructure Development: After expanding its geographic footprint, the health system identified the need for a robust, internal logistics network. This project, developed over 18 months, includes the acquisition of new, fully equipped vehicles and represents a significant upgrade to regional healthcare infrastructure.
2. Fostering Innovation: By partnering with Vesper Medical Transport, an experienced operator, Memorial Health System is adopting an innovative service delivery model for its first location in Ohio.
3. Job Creation: The establishment of the new company will create local employment opportunities for trained transport crews, contributing to decent work and economic growth in the community.

Strengthening SDG 11 and SDG 17: Sustainable Communities and Partnerships

This initiative underscores the importance of strong community ties and collaborative efforts to build sustainable and resilient communities, reflecting the principles of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Community-Centered Care: The service is designed to enhance the well-being of the community by providing a more integrated and compassionate healthcare experience, reinforcing the system’s mission to care for people, not just patients.
• Strategic Partnership: The collaboration between Memorial Health System and Vesper Medical Transport is a prime example of SDG 17, leveraging Vesper’s expertise to achieve a shared goal of outstanding patient care and operational excellence.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • The article’s central theme is the improvement of healthcare services. The partnership aims to create a dedicated patient transport company to move patients between medical facilities, directly contributing to the efficiency and accessibility of healthcare, which is the core of SDG 3.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • The creation of a new, internal transport service represents an investment in specialized infrastructure (new trucks, equipment). This initiative is an innovative solution for the Memorial Health System to manage logistics after expanding its “geographic footprint,” thereby developing a more reliable and resilient infrastructure to support patient well-being.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The service is designed to connect different communities by transporting patients from freestanding emergency departments in towns like Belpre and Athens to the main hospital in Marietta. This strengthens the regional healthcare network and ensures that people in smaller or outlying communities have better access to essential and specialized health services, such as radiation therapy.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • The article explicitly details a partnership between two private entities: Memorial Health System and Vesper Medical Transport. This collaboration leverages the specific expertise of each organization—healthcare provision and medical transport logistics—to achieve a common goal of improved patient care, exemplifying the spirit of SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services… for all. The article addresses this by aiming to provide “quicker service” for patients needing transport, which improves access to quality care. It also states there will be “no coverage or cost changes for patients,” which relates to financial risk protection.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support… human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all. The new transport service is a form of reliable infrastructure designed to provide equitable access to healthcare across the health system’s entire service area.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning. The transport service directly creates and strengthens links between different communities (Belpre, Athens, Marietta) within the regional healthcare system, ensuring patients can be moved efficiently to where specialized care is available.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships… The article is a clear example of a private-private partnership formed to enhance service delivery, as Memorial Health System is collaborating with Vesper Medical Transport to create the new company.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 3 (Target 3.8)

   • Reduced Patient Transport Time: The article implies this indicator by stating, “I do believe our patients will see quicker service.” Progress can be measured by tracking the average wait and travel times for patient transfers before and after the new service launches.
   • Patient Satisfaction: The article mentions maintaining the “same level of care and compassion.” This can be measured through patient satisfaction surveys focusing on the transport experience.

2. Indicators for SDG 9 (Target 9.1)

   • Service Reliability: The article mentions that “new trucks with equipment will be ready.” An indicator would be the operational uptime of the transport fleet and its on-time performance, measuring the reliability of the new infrastructure.
   • Geographic Coverage: The service will transport patients between “all of our locations and Memorial Health System.” An indicator is the number of facilities and the total geographic area covered by the new transport service.

3. Indicators for SDG 11 (Target 11.a)

   • Volume of Inter-facility Transfers: The article describes moving patients from “freestanding emergency departments in Belpre and Athens to the main hospital in Marietta.” A direct indicator of strengthened regional links would be the number of patients successfully transported between these and other system locations per month or year.

4. Indicators for SDG 17 (Target 17.17)

   • Successful Launch of Joint Service: The article states the company “expects to begin transport operations by mid February 2026.” The primary indicator of the partnership’s success is the successful and timely launch of the jointly-operated transport service.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wtap.com