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Discussion at two recent public meetings has brought to light concerns about transportation for seniors to medical appointments and the need for more resources to improve health care access.

The topic was initially brought up during a Freeborn County Public Health community meeting to review data from the department’s most recent community health needs assessment survey and was discussed briefly a second time at the Albert Lea City Council meeting Jan. 22.

After a presentation by SMART Transit General Manager Kirk Kuchera at the council meeting, 4th Ward Councilor Sherri Rasmussen said that it came to her attention that seniors in Austin are able to receive free rides to and from medical appointments through SMART Transit that are paid for by Mayo Clinic Health System. She asked if there was a way to get that program for Albert Lea residents, as there are many elderly people who do not drive and who don’t have a way to get to the clinic.

Kuchera, in an interview last week, said the program has been in existence with Mayo before SMART began 10 years ago when Austin’s transit service was under the name of Austin Mower County Area Transit. He said when SMART was created, the program was grandfathered into their services.

Through the program, Kuchera said Mayo provides SMART a monthly amount to assist with that transportation. He did not have an exact number of Austin seniors who utilize the services but noted it is for seniors there 55 and older.

Kris Johnson, with Mayo Clinic Health System, said the funds given are from Mayo’s community engagement dollars and go to a general fund at SMART, which identifies how to use the funds based on community needs.

She compared it to when Mayo gives funds to the Albert Lea Family YMCA, and then the Y determines how to use those funds.

Kuchera said the Hormel Foundation also assists with providing free rides for dialysis patients from Austin to Albert Lea through a grant that SMART applies for each year.

The transit company offers public transportation in Steele, Waseca, Freeborn and Mower counties, and while all of these locations have Mayo sites, he said it had not previously been brought up to expand the service to the other counties.

“It’s something relatively new to us as far as the senior groups reaching out and mentioning this,” Kuchera said.

When services were relocated between the Austin and Albert Lea campus a few years ago, SMART began offering a shuttle service between the two clinics for $4.

It also offers free rides for veterans from Austin to come to the Veterans Affairs clinic in Albert Lea.

Johnson credited the transit company for the work it already does and said residents are fortunate to have them in the community.

“SMART’s committed to helping individuals in all four counties we serve in transportation,” Kuchera said. “We’re consistently looking at unmet needs that may be existing and in some cases that we may not know about. We’re always looking for input and hopefully making some changes when we can.”

He said SMART relies on funding from the state and federal government and other grants, and while they can’t snap their fingers and make something happen overnight, they are glad to assist where possible.