Opportunities to Improve Patient Transportation Access: Piloting a Transportation Resource Fair at the Saban Community Clinic
In 2022, UCLA partnered with the Saban Community Clinic to better understand their patients’ transportation challenges and determine what strategic transportation efforts the clinic could consider. This project found that many patients travel long distances from South Los Angeles to clinic locations. Those without access to personal vehicles experience more transportation issues than other patients, including infrequent or delayed bus and train service, unreliable or unaffordable ride-hail trips, or needing to rely on others for rides — often resulting in late arrivals or missed appointments. Three out of 20 patients who missed at least one appointment in the past three months cited transportation issues as the reason. Rates were higher among women and older adults. In response to understanding these patterns, the project recommended how the clinic could strategically address transportation needs. One such idea was hosting a transportation fair at a clinic location. The fair would include transportation service providers informing patients about services and allowing them to sign up for discounts when available. In 2024, UCLA piloted this concept, and this brief details the pilot’s approach and findings.
