Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham Awards $92,000 In Grants To Support Equitable Access To Care In Norwood

Funds Will Purchase A Third Shuttle Bus For Free Rides To Health Appointments

Needham, MA - As part of its longstanding commitment to the Norwood community, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham (BID Needham) has awarded $92,000 in grant funding, over three years, to the Town of Norwood to support the operation of a free shuttle service for residents who need assistance getting to and from health-related appointments.

“It is our privilege to award this grant to help with a very basic healthcare need – a ride to the doctor’s office,” said John Fogarty, president, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham. “Forgoing healthcare because you don’t have transportation shouldn’t happen. Our aim with this grant is to improve the health of our community one ride at a time.”

The Town of Norwood has provided free shuttle service to medical appointments for several years, but the service was unable to meet demand with their current fleet. The Town of Norwood and The Norwood Council on Aging partnered to purchase a third vehicle this year, to better meet the needs of residents. BID Needham’s distribution of funds to the Town of Norwood will enable them to cover a portion of the operating costs of the expanded transportation service. For more information about transportation services for Needham's senior residents, call Stephan Grably at 781-455-7555 x204

“The transportation services will be offered for any scheduled medical appointment, regardless of the entity or provider,” said Stacey Lane, director, Norwood Public Health. “The goal of this program is to provide equitable access to care to necessary health-related and medical appointments for traditionally underserved populations in Norwood.”

The funds for the transportation program are part of a Community-based Health Initiative (CHI) at BID Needham, prompted by the hospital’s purchase of a second CT scanner in 2022. Based on the needs in the Norwood community, BID Needham’s Community Benefits Advisory Committee elected to invest the funds in the Norwood community. Meetings with the Norwood Town Manager’s Office, Department of Public Health and other Town constituents identified that equitable access to transportation was a top priority in Norwood.

About Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham

Beth Israel Deaconess-Needham (BID Needham) is a licensed 73-bed acute care community hospital. BID Needham has served residents in Needham and surrounding communities for more than 100 years. The hospital has been recognized by several organizations for quality and safety, including five-out-of-five stars from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group, the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission and the 2019 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Quality Achievement Award.

Beth Israel Deaconess-Needham is part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a health care system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.