For Immediate Release
December 1, 2020
Amistad Expands COVID-19 Transportation Services for Veterans
El Paso, Texas – Amistad and El Paso Veterans Healthcare System (VA) have partnered to expand Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) for service-connected Veterans.
Amistad will provide support to the VA by transporting symptomatic, presumptive positive or confirmed positive COVID-19 Veterans to testing sites and to medical appointments. Amistad will also provide separate NEMT services for non-COVID-19 related trips. The goal is to increase access to care, improve health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs for Veterans.
“Medical appointments cannot be placed on hold because of COVID-19; on the contrary, it is critical for Veterans to receive essential medical attention, such as dialysis treatments, to prevent further health complications,” said Rosario Fernandez, Chief Operating Officer of Transportation. “Providing them with accessible transportation to their medical appointments is one way we are addressing the community’s needs during the pandemic and we are glad we can provide this service for our Veterans.”
To qualify for the transportation services, Veterans and their family members must be vetted through the VA and live in El Paso County or within a 50-mile radius outside the county.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Amistad and El Paso County also entered a partnership to provide NEMT services to presumed positive or positive COVID-19 residents. Amistad created a COVID-19 Response Team, composed of employees who volunteered for the task at hand, and has provided over 670 COVID-19 related trips.
For more information on Amistad’s Transportation services, call 915-532-3415.
Media Contact:
Vianey Esparza
Community Relations Manager
O: 915.532.3406 | C: 915.205.2525
[email protected]
Project Amistad is a not-for-profit 501 c 3 agency providing services to elderly residents, persons with disabilities and adults-at-risk.
