Screenshot of shuttle driving across Manchester Main Street Bridge from video highlighting WAVE shuttle service between Chelsea and Manchester

The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) announced that Chelsea Hospital has been selected to receive the 2022 MHA Ludwig Community Benefit Award for its development of The Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) Stockbridge-Manchester Shuttle. The free shuttle was launched with limited services on August 3, 2020, and expanded to five days a week and door-to-door service on October 1, 2021.

A spokesperson for the hospital stated, “The WAVE Shuttle is a very successful community benefit program that has helped address issues of social isolation and lack of transportation, which can contribute to poor health outcomes for residents of Stockbridge and Manchester. In its first 18 months, the shuttle provided 1,005 rides, more than two-thirds of them for disabled riders.“

In response to receiving the award, Reiley Curran, MPH, Community Health Improvement Manager at Chelsea Hospital, released the following statement: “Our medical teams recognize that patients from Stockbridge and Manchester often experience barriers to care, such as access to safe and reliable transportation, so we are really pleased to be able to engage with our community partners to address this critical issue for so many. I commend our Chelsea Hospital team, and those working with us at Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express, for being a supportive, healing presence for our patients and the communities we serve.“

For more information about WAVE, call WAVE Dispatch at (734) 475-9494 to reserve a ride on the door-to-door buses. Dispatchers are available to take your calls Monday – Friday, 8am – 4:15pm.