Lyft and Banner Health to donate rides to mammogram appointments

Banner Health and Lyft announced that in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month they will be providing 1,000 free rides to mammogram appointments in Arizona throughout October.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mammography rates have declined between 2000 and 2015, keeping the number below national cancer screening targets, especially for women.

Since early detection of breast cancer can save lives, Banner is using this partnership to promote awareness and access to increase the number of mammography appointments.

“At Banner Health, our mission is making health care easier, so life can be better. We’re proud that we can live out our mission by providing these complimentary rides for women needing assistance. We’re also excited that by offering this incentive, we will help many people take a more proactive approach when it comes to managing their own health,” Scott Nordlund, Banner Health’s chief strategy and growth officer, said in the press release. 

In the same press release, Lyft regional general manager, Drena Kusarai said “early screenings are a critical component of breast cancer awareness. We hope that by providing rides, we can remove any barriers to transportation, so passengers can make early detection a priority.”

Lyft and Banner originally began a ridesharing initiative in June of 2018. The partnership was described as an “innovative transportation solution for Banner patients to get to and from medical appointments.”

Their rideshare partnership allows Banner to provide more services to its more than 700,000 patients across six states.

According to the 2017 American Hospital Association study, “Transportation and the Role of Hospitals,” nearly 4 million patients per year miss out on care due to lack of available transportation options.

Lyft’s goal is to eliminate transportation barriers for low-income patients. According to the company, 3.6 million Americans have transportation issues preventing them from getting to doctor’s appointments and they aim to cut the number in half by 2020.   

The 1,000 rides includes transportation to and from 500 mammograms in the Phoenix area, Tucson and Casa Grande. They will also be offering 1,000 rides in Northern Colorado.

To get a free ride patients can use the code BANNERAZ2018.

For more information regarding the service click here.