St. Luke's has formed an alliance with Ride TFT for an extension of their service offerings.
In the city of Twin Falls, a pilot program has been underway since early June, with Ride TFT vehicles parked outside St. Luke's Magic Valley hospital to provide transportation for patients without transportation. The program, which is scheduled to end in September, has been instrumental in addressing a long-standing issue highlighted by Mandi Thompson, the assistant to the city manager and interim transit coordinator.
Thompson pointed out the challenge of insufficient time for patients to leave their room and reach the transportation, a problem that the partnership with Ride TFT seeks to alleviate. St. Luke's reached out to the city to start this pilot program for discharged inpatients without transportation.
The hospital is considering expanding the partnership with Ride TFT to include patients at the emergency department and cancer center. Kyli Gough, community health and engagement director for St. Luke's Magic Valley and Jerome, stated that the partnership is tremendously important.
The city of Twin Falls has provided a public transportation service called Ride TFT since 2023, with a standard fee of $3 per ride. The service operates with a fleet of vans, and plans are underway to swap out the original fleet with new Toyota Siennas, as announced at a City Council meeting by Thompson.
The partnership with St. Luke's is part of a broader initiative to expand public transit services in the city. A $3 million grant from the Idaho Transportation Department funded the first two years of Ride TFT, and now the city is pursuing Federal Transit Administration funding.
Looking ahead, potential ways to expand the partnership include implementing a dedicated transportation service for patients needing rides to and from emergency or cancer care appointments, integrating Ride TFT’s platform with St. Luke’s patient scheduling and communication systems, offering subsidized or free rides for vulnerable patient groups, expanding operational hours, and collecting feedback and data to monitor patient needs and satisfaction.
Maxine Durand, who served as the city's transit coordinator for the past two years but resigned in late June, announced on July 4 that she is running for governor in 2026 as an unaffiliated candidate. During her tenure, Durand played a significant role in establishing the Ride TFT service and the partnership with St. Luke's.
Ride TFT is also inviting local businesses to advertise on the vans with a vehicle wrap, and the College of Southern Idaho has sponsored a wrap on the windows of one van. With the success of the pilot program and the potential for expansion, the partnership between St. Luke's Magic Valley and Ride TFT is poised to make a significant impact on healthcare access and outcomes for patients in Twin Falls.
- Despite the pilot program ending in September, St. Luke's Magic Valley hospital is considering expanding their partnership with Ride TFT to offer transportation not only for discharged inpatients, but also for patients at the emergency department and cancer center.
- In addition to improving healthcare access, Ride TFT, the city's public transportation service, is open to exploring new opportunities within the industry, such as implementing a dedicated transportation service for patients needing rides to and from emergency or cancer care appointments, and collecting data to monitor patient needs and satisfaction.
- Beyond transportation, the College of Southern Idaho has sponsored a wrap on the windows of one Ride TFT van, as the service invites local businesses to advertise on the vans with a vehicle wrap, indicating that this partnership could extend to the finance sector as well.
