Hope Air medical travel programs soar past 40,000 arrangements in 2024
December 2, 2024 – Canada: Hope Air announced today that it has surpassed 40,000 travel arrangements in 2024, setting a new single year record for medical travel support. Hope Air provides vital assistance to families, individuals, and children from over 550 underserved communities across Canada. This accomplishment reflects a 62% surge in patient demand compared to the previous year.
As a national charity dedicated to providing non-emergent, medical travel support programs for Canadians in financial need, Hope Air provides free airline, accommodation, Uber airport ground travel and other support programs. Hope Air services assist patients and their medical escorts, to reach hospital care far from home. In 2024, Hope Air will facilitate approximately 13,000 airline flights for patients in need, reducing barriers of distance and cost, in access to medical diagnosis and treatment.
“The work of Hope Air is to deliver on the promise that everyone deserves access to the best health care for their child, their partner, or themselves – no matter who they are, where they live, or their limited means” said Mark Rubinstein, Chief Hope Officer. “Never has the mission of Hope Air been more relevant or needed, as thousands of vulnerable individuals and families reach out for help. Hope Air is an essential service that through partnership with provincial health care systems, the private sector, and individual donors delivers better health outcomes for all”.
Patients living in rural or under-served communities face significant challenges in accessing the healthcare they need. Often, they are forced to make difficult decisions between attending medical appointments and providing for their families.
Hope Air’s 2024 Patient Survey revealed that many families face financial and logistical barriers to healthcare access, leading to postponed or missed medical appointments and deteriorating health conditions.
87% of respondents felt they had no other options for travel to medical appointments without our assistance. 45% indicated they would have missed 4-11+ days of work without Hope Air’s support, impacting their financial stability and access to care. 48% cited that reducing the cost of travel and easing the stress of getting to appointments far from home were the main reasons for contacting Hope Air.
About Hope Air:
Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free travel, accommodations, meals and ground transportation for Canadians in financial need who must access medical specialty care far from home. Since its inception in 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 200,000 travel arrangements for patients regardless of age or medical need.
For people living on a low income in small and rural communities, distance and cost are very real barriers to them accessing vital medical care. Hope Air is a unique and essential part of our Canadian healthcare system. Without the access Hope Air provides, our national system of universal healthcare coverage would fall short of its promise.
Hope Air is accredited by Imagine Canada’s Standards. This accreditation validates our commitment to good governance and transparency.
For more information, visit hopeair.ca.
Media Inquiries:
Jodi Lumsden
Director of Marketing & Communications
(647)688-5634
jlumsden@hopeair.ca
As a national charity dedicated to providing non-emergent, medical travel support programs for Canadians in financial need, Hope Air provides free airline, accommodation, Uber airport ground travel and other support programs. Hope Air services assist patients and their medical escorts, to reach hospital care far from home. In 2024, Hope Air will facilitate approximately 13,000 airline flights for patients in need, reducing barriers of distance and cost, in access to medical diagnosis and treatment.
“The work of Hope Air is to deliver on the promise that everyone deserves access to the best health care for their child, their partner, or themselves – no matter who they are, where they live, or their limited means” said Mark Rubinstein, Chief Hope Officer. “Never has the mission of Hope Air been more relevant or needed, as thousands of vulnerable individuals and families reach out for help. Hope Air is an essential service that through partnership with provincial health care systems, the private sector, and individual donors delivers better health outcomes for all”.
Patients living in rural or under-served communities face significant challenges in accessing the healthcare they need. Often, they are forced to make difficult decisions between attending medical appointments and providing for their families.
Hope Air’s 2024 Patient Survey revealed that many families face financial and logistical barriers to healthcare access, leading to postponed or missed medical appointments and deteriorating health conditions.
About Hope Air:
Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free travel, accommodations, meals and ground transportation for Canadians in financial need who must access medical specialty care far from home. Since its inception in 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 200,000 travel arrangements for patients regardless of age or medical need.
For people living on a low income in small and rural communities, distance and cost are very real barriers to them accessing vital medical care. Hope Air is a unique and essential part of our Canadian healthcare system. Without the access Hope Air provides, our national system of universal healthcare coverage would fall short of its promise.
Hope Air is accredited by Imagine Canada’s Standards. This accreditation validates our commitment to good governance and transparency.
For more information, visit hopeair.ca.
Media Inquiries:
Jodi Lumsden
Director of Marketing & Communications
(647)688-5634
jlumsden@hopeair.ca