Geer Dial-a-Ride offers rides to vaccine appointments

NORTH CANAAN — For many seniors in the Northwest Corner, the challenge of getting an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination has been exponentially increased by the scarcity of nearby options, especially with limited availability at Sharon Hospital and the High Watch clinic in downtown Kent.

Thanks to the Dial-a-Ride program at Geer Village Senior Community, area residents have been able to get to their vaccine sites and get their first and/or second shot.

Ivana Powers, Geer’s Director of Transportation, and scheduler Patty Tatsapaugh have been working hard to make sure that those who call in, get to their vaccine appointments, no matter what challenges face them.

“We have taken people in snowstorms,” said Powers. “We have not denied or canceled a single person who has called and requested a ride with an appointment to get their shots.  

“We are super coordinated and mission-driven.”

The majority of Dial-a-Ride’s callers use the service for non-emergency medical-related appointments, and it has been customary, said Powers, for Tatsapaugh to help callers coordinate rides with doctors’ offices and other health-care providers. 

When the vaccine rollout began, helping seniors navigate the time-consuming process of registering for a vaccine through the VAMS system, said Powers, was a challenge. “Some people can’t stay on hold for 30 to 40 minutes waiting for a response.”

Not to be deterred, they came up with a solution: Add another phone line. “Patty would call the [VAMS hotline], keep it on speaker until someone answered, then grab another phone, put that one on speaker” and allow a conversation between the two parties, explained Powers.

Despite storms,
shots delivered

The real “gold star days” for the Dial-a-Ride program, noted Powers, were in early February, “when we had two big snowstorms, and had people scheduled for rides.”  

One couple from Salisbury, Gerald and Marilyn Hardy, were due to get their second dose at a Feb. 1 clinic at the Torrington Armory — the day a major storm was forecast.

Unable to get an answer at the armory that morning as to whether or not the clinic had been canceled due to the weather, Powers said she called state Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) to confirm the clinic was open and that the roads were still safe to transport riders. 

“The couple’s appointment was at 3, but we transported them at 9 in the morning,” before the storm pummeled the Northwest Corner, recalled Powers.

‘You are going to be OK’

Gerald Hardy, who was unable to drive due to recent hip surgeries, had nothing but praise for the Geer program.  “They came right on time, it had just started snowing. Coming home, you couldn’t see the road, but the driver was careful and very experienced,” said Hardy. 

Hardy said he has used the Geer transportation service several times, and considers it a valuable resource for residents of rural northwest Connecticut. 

“They follow up to make sure your appointment is correct. You know the minute you get into the new minivan,” said Hardy, “that you are going to be OK. It’s terrific.”

As a COVID-19 safety precaution, Geer’s transportation fleet of nine vehicles was outfitted with plexiglass shields that separate the driver from passengers. The shields were installed last year thanks to a grant from the Foundation for Community Health.

Deemed a priority

Powers said she and Tatsapaugh decided early on that transporting seniors to their vaccine appointments would “be a priority above all other rides. That’s the mindset she and I took. They rely on us, because nobody else is there to drive them. We won’t relax that response until all are vaccinated.”

The Dial-a-Ride program serves seniors and those with disabilities age 18 and over, “but we transport people who can’t drive temporarily to medical appointments.” Most of the requested rides for vaccines have been to Walgreens, Sharon Hospital, the High Watch clinic in Kent and the Torrington Armory.

Although state and local officials have been busy planning for vaccine distribution, the issue of how to get people to the sites was left open-ended. But in recent weeks, said Powers, communities have pulled together to find solutions. “I give credit to Walgreens here in town,” which administered the first round of vaccines to residents and staff at Geer Village early this year, and followed up with the second shots, noted Powers.

Town social service agents, too, have been assisting residents through the vaccination process. “If we coordinate our efforts we can really blanket the need,” said Powers, who has a message for seniors or those with disabilities for whom transportation is a roadblock to getting the vaccine: “You don’t need to struggle; we’re here.”

To arrange transportation through Geer’s Dial-a-Ride program, call 860-824-7067.