Emergency medical services on Oahu may soon look a little different. Honolulu officials are weighing a new solution to help reduce the burden on its ambulance crews—partnering with rideshare companies for non-critical medical calls. While innovative, the initiative is sparking questions among drivers, especially around safety, health concerns, and compensation.
The Nurse Navigator Initiative
The idea stems from the county’s Nurse Navigator program, which aims to streamline the emergency response system. Instead of dispatching an ambulance for every 911 call, a dispatcher may determine whether a call is minor enough to transfer to a Nurse Navigator. Honolulu Emergency Services Director Jim Ireland clarifies the process, saying, “The Nurse Navigator would then send a rideshare for the patient to get to an urgent care or a doctor’s office.”
This concept could reduce ambulance usage for non-critical cases, leaving emergency crews available for life-threatening situations. Currently, the program collaborates with several rideshare companies, but primarily with Lyft.
Drivers Voice Their Concerns
The proposal has attracted significant attention among rideshare drivers, who are raising some critical concerns. Larry Wiss, a seasoned Uber driver with seven years of experience, shared his apprehensions about taking on such responsibilities.
“EMS is medically trained. We’re not medically trained. So, to put someone in our vehicle that you know might have a problem already leaves us in a bad situation,” Wiss said.
Wiss is particularly worried about the potential health risks, including exposure to illnesses.
On this point, Nurse Navigator program officials reassure that only specific types of passengers will qualify for rideshare transportation. People with mobility issues, contagious illnesses, or those who could pose a danger to themselves or others will not be eligible.
Addressing Safety and Insurance Questions
Drivers like Wiss have also raised questions about personal liability and additional expenses, such as insurance coverage for non-emergency medical transports. Unfortunately, clear answers on this issue are lacking. Lyft directed inquiries about insurance to its online resources page, but it doesn’t definitively state whether drivers would need extra coverage for these trips.
When it comes to accidents or incidents onboard, however, Lyft assures its drivers that they have support. A company spokesperson explained, “If something does happen, like a rider getting sick, drivers can reach out to Lyft support to report any issues. We will work with the driver so they can clean their vehicle without incurring the expense.”
Drivers Retain Ride Selection Control
Another question raised by Wiss is what happens if a driver doesn’t want to participate in these non-emergency transports.
Gerad Troutman, National Medical Director for Global Medical Response, stresses consent is key. “Ultimately, the patient has a choice whether or not they want to use rideshare,” he said.
Similarly, Lyft confirmed that rideshare drivers remain in control of the rides they accept. The company emphasized that drivers can use tools like area filters or destination filters to prioritize rides that align with their preferences and travel plans.
Compensation and Tipping Questions
One additional concern is how these rides would impact driver earnings, particularly when a large portion of customer fares is taken as commission by rideshare platforms like Uber and Lyft. Wiss noted, “Uber takes a good portion of the fare that the customer receives, and I don’t think the customer understands that.”
For tipping, Lyft has recently introduced a tipping feature through its third-party Business Concierge Portal. A spokesperson for the Nurse Navigator program said, “We are actively evaluating if and how we can incorporate that feature.”
A Vision Still in Progress
While the Nurse Navigator program has already been adopted in 30 cities across the country, its implementation on Oahu remains uncertain. Funding is one of the primary hurdles that Honolulu is working to address before bringing this proposal to life.
Source: Hawaii News Now
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