Rural Transportation Pilot

• By: VAFCC
• On: 02/18/2026 11:28:09
• In: News

In many Virginia communities, long distances and limited public transit make it difficult for patients to keep appointments or receive routine care. It is well documented that transportation-disadvantaged populations are more likely to experience health-related burdens such as foregoing needed treatment, medication nonadherence, increased emergency department visits and hospitalizations, poor health outcomes, poor quality of life, and increased risk of mortality. Through the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Pilot Program, a statewide initiative funded through a $1 million grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (VAFCC) and Virginia Community Health Association (VCHA) hope to address those concerns by expanding transportation options in rural communities for uninsured Virginians served by free clinics and federally qualified health centers.

By testing innovative solutions that can improve access to timely healthcare and evaluating scalable transportation models, the NEMT pilot aims to identify practical approaches that reduce missed appointments, improve health outcomes, and guide future healthcare policies across the Commonwealth. Several FQHCs and the following VAFCC members received funding and intend to use these funds in creative, patient-centered ways:
 

• Mel Leaman Free Clinic in Maron , VA – $50,000: The clinic is initiating a new transportation program to remove the barrier of transportation for rural patients in hard to reach pockets within the clinic's vast service footprint. The clinic is equipped to serve additional patients and through this program will work to ensure uninsured patients reach the clinic as scheduled, resulting in improved  chronic disease management.
• Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic in Kilmarnock, VA – $50,000: The clinic is initiating a new transportation program to provide direct transportation assistance to patients as well as deliver prescription medications, thereby improving compliance with appointments and medication utilization leading to improved health outcomes.

“This initiative recognizes that access to healthcare is about more than clinical services, it's about removing the practical barriers that prevent patients from even walking through a free clinic's door,” said Rufus Phillips, VAFCC Chief Executive Officer. “For free clinics in particular, this funding strengthens their capacity to coordinate community partnerships, leverage volunteers, and create patient-centered solutions that reflect the realities they face every day.”

The NEMT Pilot Program is part of a broader commitment to strengthening community-based healthcare systems across Virginia by the VAFCC and VCHA. The initiative supports innovative, locally driven solutions that ensure vulnerable populations can receive timely and consistent care.