Expanding access to healthcare, one ride at a time
Reliable transportation is a prerequisite for healthcare. Without it, appointments are delayed, treatments are missed, and manageable conditions escalate.
Through our Community Benefit program, Montage Health invests directly in removing that barrier by supporting ITNMontereyCounty, a local affiliate of the national ITNAmerica. The nonprofit provides low-cost, door-through-door rides for adults 60 years old and older and people with visual impairments.
Montage Health’s investment helps cover the gap between what rides costs and what riders can afford. On average, ITN charges about $16 per trip, but it costs nearly $70 to deliver one. Montage Health’s funding also supports geographic expansion. In 2022, ITN launched its NorthLine and ValleyLine services, extending transportation from the Monterey Peninsula into rural communities like Castroville, Moss Landing, and Royal Oaks, where public transit options are limited and distances to care are longer.
Turning funding into access
ITN has delivered more than 121,000 rides locally since 2011, with about 60 percent of them for medical care. Those rides connect patients to healthcare services like primary care visits, cardiology appointments, eye treatments, lab work, and post-procedure pickups that require a safe ride home. It’s also the only organization in Monterey County authorized to transport patients home after outpatient procedures involving anesthesia, since safety requirements prevent discharge to taxis or rideshare services.
What access looks like in practice
Before enrolling in ITN, Jeralyn Pearl was preparing to give up driving and unsure how she would continue seeing her doctors. So, she sold her car through ITN, and the proceeds were placed into an account that funds her rides. She schedules trips in advance, is picked up on time, and doesn’t have to navigate traffic, parking, or long drives.
She uses the service at least once per week for medical appointments, grocery trips, and other essentials.
“I was so worried about how I was going to get around,” Pearl says. “That worry vanished when I learned about ITN. It’s stress-free and has allowed me to keep my appointments, keep my independence, and keep living my life.”
For Royal Oaks resident and ITN rider Dee, ITN’s low-cost and reliable rides provide stability. After a stroke affected her vision, she relied on a mix of paid drivers and cabs, sometimes paying up to $100 for a single trip, sometimes dealing with no-shows.
ITN reduced that cost to roughly $16–$20 per ride and provided consistent transportation for her recurring treatments.
“I went from worrying constantly about whether someone would show up, or how much it would cost, to knowing I always have an affordable ride I can count on,” Dee says. “When you’re dealing with ongoing treatment, that reliability is so important.”
More than just a ride
Volunteer driver Carol Chorbajian started volunteering with ITN after seeing how quickly mobility and transportation can become limiting factors for older adults, especially when family support isn’t nearby or reliable.
Many of her rides involve patients who need help getting from their front door to an exam room — not just a curbside drop-off. She describes moments where a simple trip includes steadying someone on a walkway or making sure they feel oriented in an unfamiliar clinic setting. Over time, she says, riders begin to recognize familiar drivers, which adds another layer of reassurance, comfort, and social connection to the process.
That level of support fills a gap that rideshare services and traditional transportation options don’t.
Extending care beyond the clinic
Montage Health’s partnership with ITN also includes coordination with Aspire Health‘s Medicare Advantage plan, giving members transportation as part of their healthcare benefits. It’s a system where care starts at scheduling an appointment and continues through the logistics required to reach it.
“Access to care doesn’t start at the clinic,” says Sadhna Ortiz, director of Aspire Health’s population health program. “It starts with the ability to get there. Through ITN, our members have reliable transportation that helps them stay engaged in their care and maintain their independence. It’s a meaningful way to reduce barriers and better support the members we serve.”
The investment is part of Montage Health’s broader work to address social drivers of health — including transportation — which directly influence access to care, health outcomes, and long-term well-being. It ensures that, across Monterey County, more patients can access the healthcare services they need.
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