University Hospitals Geauga, Conneaut and Geneva medical centers seek volunteer drivers for American Cancer Society “Road to Recovery” program

Drivers transport cancer patients to treatments in Geauga and Ashtabula County

GEAUGA AND ASHTABULA COUNTIES – University Hospitals (UH) Geauga, Conneaut and Geneva medical centers are working to build the American Cancer Society’s “Road to Recovery” driver program to benefit oncology patients throughout the region in and around Geauga and Ashtabula Counties.

Road to Recovery provides cancer patients who do not have a ride or are unable to drive themselves with free transportation to and from outpatient treatments and physician appointments. Volunteer drivers donate their time and the use of their cars so patients can receive the life-saving care they need. Geauga and Ashtabula County-area volunteers can participate by serving as drivers or ride coordinators within their community.

“With the state-of-the-art infusion and radiation facilities at UH Geauga Medical Center and the expanding infusion services at UH Conneaut and Geneva medical centers, there is a growing transportation need for cancer patients in this region,” says Julie Szitas, RN, Nurse Manager, Oncology Division, UH Seidman Cancer Center at UH Geauga Medical Center. “We are working to complement the existing Geauga Transit Shuttle and Community Care Ambulance services with volunteers from the Road to Recovery program so our patients can have easier access to their treatments.”

Road to Recovery drivers must be in good health and must have a valid Ohio driver’s license; a safe, reliable vehicle; proof of auto insurance; and a good driving history. Coordinators, who help UH Geauga Medical Center and the American Cancer Society (ACS) schedule patients’ rides, must have good organizational and communication skills. They can volunteer as little as four hours a week from home, whenever convenient.

The rides are especially critical for patients who must receive daily radiation treatments over several weeks. “The Road to Recovery program is very meaningful to those who have no one else to help them get to their treatments,” says Kristen Wedzikowski, Mission Delivery Specialist, East Central Division, American Cancer Society, Inc. “We have also learned that what patients like most about the program is the one-to-one contact with our drivers. They enjoy having someone to be with and talk to on the way to and from their appointments.”