Jefferson County Health Center gets new courtesy van

FAIRFIELD - The Jefferson County Health Center is sporting a new courtesy van to give rides to patients.

The newly acquired van can be used by anybody in Jefferson County (plus the nearby towns of Richland and Birmingham) to get a ride to and from the health center in Fairfield.

The van is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Patients are asked to make arrangements 24 hours in advance by calling 641-472-4111.

The van costs $2 one-way for trips within Fairfield city limits and $3 one-way for trips outside the city limits. The van is intended for non-emergency use only. If you have an emergency, dial 911 for ambulance transport.

Wanda Bagby, community relations manager at the health center, said the new van is bigger than the old one, which was retired because it reached the end of its life span. The new one has space for a wheelchair of any size, and has a lift in the back.

Bagby said the driver, David Shaw, picks up between 12-17 people on a typical day, and sometimes as many as 20. When he drops off a patient at the health center, he usually picks up another one to take back to their house.

Bagby said demand for the van's services has grown over time, and has really picked up in the last couple of years.

'It's a great way for somebody who doesn't drive to come for a doctor's appointment, lab, X-ray, physical therapy or anything else you need at the hospital,” she said.

The Jefferson County Health Center Foundation helps support the maintenance of the van by making a donation to it every year.