May 14, 2002 Contact: Janice Parks (714) 834-6896
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES SENIOR TRANSPORTATION PLAN
SANTA ANA, Calif., May 14, 2002 – The Orange County Board of Supervisors today approved a plan that will help improve access to non-emergency medical transportation services for Orange County seniors. The plan submitted by the Community Services Agency/Office on Aging (OoA), Health Care Agency and Orange County Transportation Authority comes as a result of nearly $3 million in Tobacco Settlement revenue. The plan is an innovative and creative approach to provide non-emergency medical transportation for seniors. Under this collaborative program the OoA will develop and administer the program, the Health Care Agency (HCA) will provide support and funding, and the Orange County Transportation Authority will contribute funding and technical assistance. A recent study released by the HCA identifies an unmet need of nearly 462,000 non-emergency medical trips annually by frail individuals who require extra assistance or by low-income individuals who cannot afford taxi fares. “Older adults, especially the most needy and frail, critically need special transportation services,” said Pamela Mokler, executive director, Office on Aging. The OoA Information and Assistance Senior Call Center (800) 510-2020 will play a critical role in the dissemination of transportation information. Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority, said, "We look forward to working closely with the Office on Aging to provide this very important transportation service for seniors. The number of senior citizens in Orange County is projected to significantly increase during the next few decades. It is important that we make plans to address their growing transportation needs." The Board approval today helps pave the way for releasing Request for Proposals (RFP) in June. One proposal will be for a pilot Volunteer Mileage Reimbursement program which offers mileage reimbursement to volunteer drivers for non-emergency medical trips adapted after Riverside County’s Transportation Reimbursement and Information Project (TRIP) for up to $500,000, and the other RFP will be for seed money to fund existing and new innovative programs. “A Volunteer Mileage Reimbursement program will help to foster the concept of neighbor helping neighbor to meet the health care transportation needs of our older adults,” added Julie Poulson, Director, Orange County Health Care Agency. “The size and diversity of Orange County will require a number of transportation options to ensure that seniors are able to maintain access to essential health care services, and we applaud the availability of this program and the other modes of transportation made possible by the availability of Tobacco Settlement revenues,” said Poulson. The Office on Aging provides resources to nearly 400,000 seniors throughout Orange County. For information on senior services and programs, call (800) 510-2020 or (714) 567-7500 (if calling from outside of Orange County, CA). For media inquires, call Janice Parks, Public Information Officer at (714) 834-6896.