Riverside Expanding Medically Stable Patient Transportation Services

September 02, 2026

Riverside Health Care is moving forward with a significant expansion of its Medically Stable Patient Transportation (MSPT) Program, strengthening access to reliable, accessible transportation for patients across the Rainy River District and improving connections to regional health services in Thunder Bay.

“This expansion reflects several years of work to advance a transportation model that better responds to the realities of our district,” said Henry Gauthier, President and CEO of Riverside Health Care. “I want to recognize the important contributions of David Black and the late Joanne Ogden, whose work with the Ministry helped advance this vision, as well as our Board of Directors for its ongoing commitment to evolving our model of care, improving access and providing the very best care possible for the communities we serve.”

The expansion builds on Riverside’s existing MSPT program, which has provided affordable, non-emergency transportation for medically stable patients since 2021. By strategically stationing vehicles in Rainy River, Emo, Fort Frances and Atikokan, the expanded model will provide broader coverage and more responsive access to surrounding communities, while strengthening connections to regional health services.

Transportation can be a significant barrier to accessing health care. The realities of living in a large rural district can make attending appointments particularly challenging, especially when specialized services require travel elsewhere in the region. These challenges can be even greater for individuals who do not have reliable transportation or who require mobility assistance. Riverside’s MSPT program was developed to help address this gap by safely transporting individuals who are medically stable but may require assistance getting to and from health-care services.

What began as a new transportation service has quickly become an important connection to care across the district. The program provided 148 transports in its first year and has grown steadily since, providing more than 1,000 transports last year. That growth has included increasing requests from rural and remote communities, as well as longer-distance transportation to specialized services outside the district.

Under the existing model, longer-distance trips can take a MSPT vehicle and staff out of the district for an extended period, limiting the program’s ability to respond to other transportation needs. Expanding beyond a single transportation base in Fort Frances will provide greater flexibility to balance local needs with longer-distance travel.

“Transportation should never be the reason someone misses out on the care they need,” said David Black, Riverside’s Vice President of Community and Transportation Services. “Building greater capacity across our communities will allow us to better respond to local needs while also supporting the realities of accessing specialized care hundreds of kilometres away.”

Supporting this expansion is a significant investment through the Ontario Transit Investment Fund (OTIF). Riverside has received conditional approval for up to $1,645,678 over three years, from 2026-27 through 2028-29. This provincial investment will support increased transportation capacity across the district and more reliable connections to care.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Province of Ontario for recognizing the unique transportation challenges faced by patients and families in Northwestern Ontario,” added Gauthier. “This investment allows us to build on a service that is already making a difference and create stronger, more reliable connections to care, regardless of where someone lives in our district.”

Riverside’s MSPT program is intended for individuals who do not require urgent medical attention or advanced life support during transportation, but who may require assistance due to mobility challenges, ongoing medical treatments or other health-related factors. The service helps connect patients with medical appointments, treatment facilities and other health-care destinations safely and comfortably.

As the expansion moves forward, Riverside will continue working with health-system, emergency medical services, community, municipal and Indigenous partners to coordinate transportation services and strengthen connections across the region. Riverside’s planning has identified the importance of integrating local MSPT transportation with accessible transportation to Thunder Bay, helping create reliable connections from communities throughout the district to regional health services.

Details regarding expanded service availability, routes, schedules, eligibility, booking processes and launch timelines will be shared as implementation planning is completed.