From Home to Healthcare: Arbor Health and Lewis County Transit Launch Tuesday Transport Service
MORTON—Beginning on June 16, 2025, one day a month will be called "Transportation Tuesday" at Arbor Health facilities. This new service will give area residents free public transportation to medical appointments in East Lewis County. The service addresses a long-standing challenge for many people without transportation.
Julie Taylor, chief of outpatient services at Arbor Health, says the days were scheduled through the end of the year to match the busiest days at the Arbor Health Specialty Clinic at Morton Hospital. However, this transportation service will help people throughout East Lewis County with all their healthcare needs.
For example, a patient in Packwood could catch the bus at the Union 76-Tatoosh Food Market at 8:55 a.m. and arrive at the hospital at 9:45 a.m. for a 10:15 a.m. cardiology appointment. They would be picked up in front of the hospital at 11:30 a.m. and returned to Packwood by 12:55 p.m.
Another example is a Mossyrock resident who catches the bus at the Mossyrock school bus yard at 2 p.m. and arrives at the hospital at 2:10 p.m. for pulmonary function test appointment. They board the return bus at 3:30 p.m. and arrive back at the Mossyrock school bus yard by 3:45 p.m. All free of charge.
Lewis County Transit currently runs a Monday-Friday bus route in East Lewis County called the "Brown Line." However, this route wasn't designed for medical appointments. Using the current system, a Packwood patient would be picked up at 8 a.m. but wouldn’t return to Packwood until 5 p.m.
All Lewis County Transit buses are free to ride and wheelchair accessible.
Lewis County Transit Operations Manager Sonya Byrd says her organization is pleased to increase services to East Lewis County and expects to add additional days as the ridership increases.
Arbor Health CEO Rob Mach credited L.C. Transit for their willingness to meet the need in the community. He said he is enthused for the opportunity the partnership will provide Arbor Health patients. “We’ve heard about this need from the community members and know that it has been a longtime coming. We are very happy to get this started.”
The Transportation Tuesdays through the end of the year are scheduled for:
May 20, June 17, July 15, August 19, September 16, October 21, November 18, and December 16. Residents wishing to utilize the transportation should call the Arbor Health facility for appointment as usual and tell the staff that they need to be scheduled for “Transportation Tuesday.”