Prince George, B.C.- Northern Health Connections is expanding service to Mackenzie in response to high demand for the medical travel service.

 

The number of riders traveling between Mackenzie and Prince George has grown steadily since the service began in 2006, with an average of 38 and 49 riders per month in the last two fiscal years. In the last 12 months 646 riders used NH Connections to travel to out-of-town medical appointments. Ridership peaked at 75 per cent of potential capacity in November of 2008.

 

The NH Connections bus will now provide same-day service between the two communities on both Mondays and Wednesdays on the same schedule as is currently in use by the Wednesday bus.

 

NH Connections is open to anyone who needs to travel to an out-of-town medical appointment, regardless of age or income. NH Connections offers 19 routes connecting communities across Northern British Columbia, along with service to Vancouver. The province’s Northeast benefits from NH Connections service to Grande Prairie Alberta, while the Robson Valley enjoys a weekly route to Kamloops.

 

“The residents of Mackenzie have shown great utilization of the NH Connections program" said Ashley Stoppler, Regional Manager of Patient Transportation. "We are pleased to be able to provide additional service to allow them to meet their healthcare needs”