University of Florida Health has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Florida Blue Foundation to develop and implement programs to pull down barriers to healthcare for East Gainesville residents over the next five years, including a mobile food pharmacy and new transportation options.
Community needs assessments conducted by UF Health suggest that East Gainesville has the area’s highest incidence of health disparities and the most limited access to healthcare. The project will focus on three factors: lack of access to healthy foods, transportation obstacles, and language barriers.
To remove the transportation barriers patients face, UF Health is also working with Uber Health, which facilitates rides to appointments as well as deliveries of prescriptions, groceries, or over-the-counter products to improve patient care. A care coordinator will use the Uber Health dashboard to request a ride or delivery on behalf of the patient or caregiver.