Health & Mobility Partners & Supporters

The Nursing-Transportation Partnership was initiated when a neighbor of mine was unable to visit his wife at the hospital due to his concerns about driving home in the dark. I quickly discovered that transportation poses a significant barrier to accessing care within my community.

In southern Delaware, transportation options are quite limited. Approximately 90% of the population relies on their own vehicles to access healthcare services. Many new residents often travel long distances back to their previous providers and specialists. Western Sussex County is recognized as a medical desert, where many individuals reside in rural areas with inadequate access to care and transportation.

 In the coming years, individuals aged 80 and above will represent the fastest-growing demographic in southern Delaware. The demand for transportation and mobility solutions will become increasingly critical. Our aim is to leverage our collective nursing experience to partner with concerned organizations and community members in developing effective and sustainable transportation and mobility solutions. 

1. Our first project is to increase non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) options for older residents of Sussex County, Delaware.  This project, 25 for 80 NEMT, received a 2023 AARP Community Challenge grant. It is one of only 310 grantees selected out of more than 3,600 applications from across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Read more about the project here.
2. Our second project is to create the Delaware Health & Mobility Alliance, a network of people and organizations that want to work together to develop transportation and mobility solutions in Delaware. The Alliance was launched beginning of 2025.  You can join our FB group for updates.
3. The third project is to use generative artificial intelligence to develop an AI agent to provide transportation options to access care.  We have been building a database of transportation options, from senior rides to private drivers and to public transit.  
4. We have been partnering with our public transit system, Delaware Transit Corporation (DART), since 2023.  We provide education and outreach to help seniors with paratransit applications and to learn how to use the public transit system. We also maintain a bus shelter in the heart of the shopping outlets in Rehoboth Beach, where many unhoused adults use the shelter as a refuge. Developing a travel trainer program is in our future plans.
5. Another pipedream is to develop a program to train volunteers to assist older residents using a door-through-door service to medical and dental appointments.
6.  As a member of the Delaware State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Coalition, we are working with the University of Delaware Partnership for Healthy Communities (PHC) to collaborate on research and policy development opportunities to bridge the gap between transportation and health.  
7. Our most recent project has been awarded the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield BluePrint for the Community Grant to develop a Neighborhood Foot Care Patrol. More information is coming.  You can learn more now from our volunteer posting at Volunteer Delaware.

• From a neighbor who needed critical surgical care 2 counties away - " Thank you for all you do!"
• From a veteran who needed care from the VA - " May God bless and watch over all of you. Your organization is wonderful."
• From a neighbor who needed special surgery 40 miles away - "Thank you for this wonderful service which is so badly needed in Sussex County. "
• From a caregiver during a health crisis caring for a loved one- "Thank you for all the help you have given me with ....."
• From an adult daughter caring for elderly parents - " What a wonderful service you offer, and I'm very grateful to you all for all that you do, and to have found such a helpful resource for future use." 

Thank you to our generous donors for supporting our transportation and mobility initiatives. In addition to our grantors, we would like to recognize the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians of Sussex County for their generous donation to help us develop our volunteer chaperone program. Your donation will help us continue to develop health and mobility initiatives. See our donation page. 

Contact Bet Wong, Project Lead, Nursing-Transportation Partnership