Pirate Health Ride Program

The Pirate Health Ride Program through the Whitworth Health Center provides health center-eligible Whitworth students with transportation to and from local health care providers.

Effective Sept. 9, health center-eligible students may utilize Lyft for on-demand medical and health transportation needs 24/7 during the academic year in the Spokane area. This includes rides to and from medical locations, such as local urgent care or emergency room facilities. This service is not for life-threatening medical emergencies; please call 911 if you have a life-threatening medical emergency. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health officials, students who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, suspect they may have it, or are being evaluated for it should not use rideshare, public transportation or taxis.

Scheduled medical appointments may be requested in advance depending on distance/location/frequency, subject to approval from the health center director. Students are strongly encouraged to request a ride reservation before the end of business day, the day prior to a scheduled health ride.

This service may also be utilized for pharmacy medication pickup needs when another transportation option, such as Spokane Transit Authority, is not available.

During regular health center business hours, the student can call the health center at 509.777.3259 to request a health ride with Lyft. This enables the ride to be authorized and there will be no charge to the student. Charges will be billed to the health center and are covered under the student's health & wellness fee.

If a health center staff member is unavailable during business hours or it is after-hours, students may schedule their own Lyft ride during the academic year and will be responsible for the charges at the time of service. Students will need to download and install the Lyft app on their phone. Students can then email a copy of their Lyft ride receipt to healthcenter@whitworth.edu along with the ride location and ride purpose (medical, health, prescription, urgent care, doctor appointment, etc.) to request reimbursement. The ride will be reviewed to ensure it aligns with the Pirate Health Ride Program criteria. Please do not include confidential or sensitive personal or health information in your email. Students will be reimbursed for their ride after verification of the ride location and alignment with program criteria has been satisfied. If students have questions about a ride they have submitted for reimbursement, they can contact the health center at 509.777.3259.

Pickup and drop-off locations will vary, depending on location of the student, requested health care provider or medical facility destination. Please be detailed in your location description for your Lyft driver, if you are booking your own ride.