Ride-sharing drivers in the Tampa Bay area and beyond have noticed an increase in rides to and from hospitals as patients seek out ways to reach the ER that are not only less expensive, but transparent about arrival times.
Few Tampa Bay area hospitals track how often ride-sharing drivers drop off or pick up patients, but at Tampa General Hospital, they are “here quite a bit over the course of a day,” said John Dunn, director of public relations at Tampa General Hospital.
Dulce Maurer, an Uber driver in St. Petersburg, Fla., since July 2016, told the Tampa Bay Times she accepted a ride from a passenger who was bleeding from his forehead and didn’t mind helping him get to the ER.
“He did not want to pay for an ambulance,” Ms. Maurer said. “(Uber) was really the best option for him. He was stitched up within 15 minutes at 3 a.m. and it was cheaper and faster.”
However, for passengers who require immediate medical attention, the use of ride-sharing services raises concern.
“A driver may not know which hospital to take you to, as some in the area specialize in certain things,” said Charlene Cobb, a spokeswoman with Sunstar, the company under contract with Pinellas County, Fla., to provide ambulance and paramedic services. “Paramedics are trained to know that and provide assistance on the way. In an emergency, seconds count.”
Ms. Cobb told the Tampa Bay Times she hopes training emergency dispatchers to help decide when an ambulance ride is really necessary will curb ambulance costs in the future.
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