CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A program that started last summer is seeing promising results in the Coastal Bend as veterans have a resource to lean back on when they need transportation to their medical appointments via Uber.
VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health System Mobility Manager Stephenie Ochoa said the service came about through a need for higher punctuality times from veterans.
"We had a lot of no shows for veterans that didn't have transportation to be able to get to their appointments," she said.
Ochoa said that while the program is beneficial to the veterans, there are restrictions in place.
"They have to be ambulatory," she said. We don't want to send an Uber to someone's home and they're in a wheel chair."
Local veteran Ram Chavez said that for veterans, seeking help can be difficult for a multitude of reasons. He said that money plays a large factor in why some veterans cannot receive access to healthcare.
"A lot of disabled veterans are exactly that," Chavez said. "They're on a fixed income. You know, they live on disabilities, especially if they're wounded in battle."
Chavez said that being able to offer services for those who served is invaluable.
"There are a lot of senior veterans that cannot drive, or have to have someone drive them. Sometimes that's unfortunate, hard to do," he said. "So this program will help many of them keep their appointments and be in better health."
Ochoa said that there are income requirements that veterans must also meet. She said that in order to continue to qualify, applicants must renew their financial information annually.
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