December 18, 2017
Tri-City Medical Center Receives FACT’s Norine Sigafoose Partner of the Year Award
Award recognizes Tri-City’s critical support for Facilitating Access to Coordinated Transportation (FACT)
OCEANSIDE, Calif. – Tri-City Medical Center was honored with the Norine Sigafoose Partner of the Year Award presented by Facilitating Access to Coordinated Transportation, or FACT, as the agency is known to the many thousands of mobility-challenged San Diego County residents it helps each year. The award was presented to hospital representatives by the FACT board of directors on Dec. 14 at its annual meeting.
A non-profit agency, FACT coordinates transportation services for residents with barriers to mobility to help them achieve independence. It has coordinated over 1,000 rides to Tri-City Medical Center patients over the past year. When Tri-City Medical Center case managers encounter a patient at discharge who has no means of returning home, they work with FACT to help coordinate prompt, safe and reliable transportation for the patient. FACT contracts with the rideshare service Lyft, and other vendors, whose drivers pick up the patients and take them to the pharmacy to fill prescriptions if needed and then home.
FACT and Tri-City Medical Center also collaborated with SANDAG to win a $200,000 “Rides to Wellness” federal grant last year. The grant will fund the equipment, technology and staffing for booking rides home and to follow up appointments for qualifying patients being discharged from the hospital and is expected to launch in early 2018. Tri-City Medical Center provided a 20 percent match through in-kind contributions to help secure the grant.
The annual award is named for Norine Sigafoose, a FACT board member and former Carlsbad City Councilwoman who experienced mobility barriers after an automobile accident resulted in her partial paralysis. Past honorees have included Lori Holt Pfeiler (’09), Fifth District County Supervisor Bill Horn (’10) and Karen King, CEO, Golden Empire Transit District (’15).
“Our board was unanimous in choosing Tri-City Medical Center for this honor,” said FACT Executive Director Arum Prem. “The hospital has provided absolutely critical support to FACT over the years and especially during the most recent financial year. Tri-City Medical Center was instrumental in helping us accomplish our objective to improve access to medical services in San Diego County.”
“We are excited to see the Rides to Wellness program launch and are grateful for our collaboration with FACT. Making it easier for our patients to get to and from the hospital is perfectly aligned with our mission to advance the health and wellness of the community we serve,” explained Tri-City Medical Center CEO Steve Dietlin.
To learn more about FACT’s transportation for seniors, persons with disabilities, and veterans call (760) 754-1252 or visit www.factsd.org.
About FACT
FACT, formed as a non-profit agency in 2005, assists San Diego County residents with barriers to mobility achieve independence through coordination of transportation services. In 2006 the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) designated FACT as the Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (CTSA) for San Diego County under the provisions of the State’s Transportation Development Act. RideFACT is funded by several sources including the County’s TransNet sales tax program, USDOT’s New Freedom, and CA State’s Transportation Development Act grants. It is governed by an 8-member Board, Chaired by former City of Vista Council member Bob Campbell. More information about FACT can be found at www.factsd.org or by contacting FACT Executive Director, Arun Prem at (760) 754–1252.
About Tri-City Medical Center
Tri-City Medical Center has served its community for over 50 years and is a 388-bed full service, acute-care hospital in Oceanside, Calif., with a primary care clinic and over 700 physicians practicing in 60 specialties. Its Gold Seal of Approval® from the Joint Commission recognizes its commitment to safe and effective patient care for the residents of the community it serves. It operates the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in North County as well as an Orthopedics & Spine, a Cardiovascular Health Institute and a Neuroscience Institute along with the Tri-City Wellness Center in Carlsbad, Calif., recognized as one of the best wellness centers in San Diego County. It also specializes in women’s health, robotic surgery, cancer and emergency care. For more information about Tri-City Medical Center and Tri-City Healthcare District, please visit www.tricitymed.org.
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Tri-City Medical Center Receives FACT’s Norine Sigafoose Partner of the Year Award
