In March 2021, Rockbridge Area Transportation System (RATS) founder, Joan Manley, needed to be transported on a stretcher to an outpatient appointment, but the only service provider available to transport a stretcher was located three hours away, in Kentucky.  Since Medicare benefits do not include coverage for such transport services, adding the out-of-pocket costs to the stress of waiting for the out-of-the-area transport provider to arrive makes the situation overwhelming – when people are most vulnerable.

Sadly, Joan’s situation is not unique and happens every day, including in Rockbridge County and surrounding areas.  Therefore, in late 2022, Valley Area Stretcher Transport (VAST) was formed as the first nonprofit and non-emergent stretcher transportation provider in Virginia and is the only such provider based in: 

Rockbridge County - Alleghany County - Bath County.

Creating VAST itself was the easy part   …   now, the hard work begins, and we need your help!

Operating and providing non-emergent stretcher transport services in our rural area is not cheap.  The costs for hiring and training personnel, purchasing and maintaining equipment (vehicles, stretchers, linens), developing an IT system to schedule and bill for services, ensuring liability and worker’s compensation insurance coverage, and providing day-to-day operations add up very quickly.

To date, VAST has received grants restricted to the purchase of a stretcher van and a refurbished stretcher, which are a great start!  Now, we need funding to develop the non-emergent stretcher transport service into an operating system and sustainable organization.

As a nonprofit service provider, VAST operates on a sliding scale based on income which, typically, will be less than half of the costs charged by private service providers based outside of the county.  In addition to saving costs, VAST will also save waiting time and ensure services are provided with the utmost dignity and compassion during such difficult times.