National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference 2024

Darby Treat, MPH; Bryan Mader, DrPH, MPH, CHES


Problem
For many Phillips County residents, transportation is a barrier to accessing healthcare services, healthy food options, and recreational facilities such as parks and walking trails. Across the county, the average distance to a grocery store is 24.1 miles. Phillips County lacks a public transportation system, and 12.3% of households do not own a vehicle. Outside the main city, the rest of the Phillips County has a National Walkability Index of only 3.22, lending residents few options for safe, active transportation such as walking or cycling.
Response
The Delta Rides pilot project is a deviated fixed route transportation solution that services all of Phillips County, Arkansas. This solution is comprised of servicing three main geographic service areas; Helena-West Helena, Elaine, and Marvell. The service has fixed time schedules and routes. Route stops focus on destinations that address social determinants of health including but not limited to grocery stores, community centers, low-income housing, elderly/disabled living centers, health care facilities, pharmacies, and food pantries.
Results
The rider population for the Delta Rides proof of concept experiment trended older and female, with 82% of riders reporting that they were 60 years or age or older and 64% reporting they were female. Ninety-five (95%) of riders self-reported their race/ethnicity as Black or African American and all riders reported that the primary language spoken in their home was English. The most frequently reported city of residence was Poplar Grove (41%). Among the riders, self-reported vehicle ownership was low, with only 32% of riders reporting that they currently owned a vehicle. Word of mouth (79%) was the primary method through which riders found out about the Delta Rides project, followed by 'Advertisement or Flyer' at 17%. The primary reason that riders took a trip was to get groceries or food (62%), with 29% reporting that unreliable personal transportation was the reason they utilized the Delta Rides service. Finally, 29% of riders perceived that they saved $25 or more by using Delta Rides instead of another form of transportation.
Value
This pilot program revealed the stark absence of transportation options for the residents of Phillips County, especially among older adult populations. As evidenced by the survey data above, residents’ primary purpose for utilizing the Delta Rides service was to get groceries or food. Delta Rides addresses a myriad of social determinants of health, including access to transportation and access to healthy foods. The eventual evolution of this program will allow residents access to everyday destinations, including healthcare clinics, pharmacies, banks, and local employers, all while providing a social interaction that some older adult populations may forego or simply not have access to at all due to their living arrangements. For Phillips County residents who lack reliable transportation, or who may not own a vehicle at all, Delta Rides provides increased access to destinations and routes that facilitate the conditions for improving health outcomes related to the social determinants of health.