Connect With Your Community!
Connect With Your Community!
The HRDC is searching for a driver for their Galavan Senior Transportation services in Three Forks.
According to HRDC Transportation Director Sunshine Ross, the longtime driver for the local service is retiring at the end of the month after six years as a paid employee and another two as a volunteer driver.
The service is used by members of the Three Forks and Manhattan communities for various medical appointments, including dialysis. The service has also recently been used to transport area residents to water aerobics.
Ross said a needs assessment completed every three years by the HRDC showed health care as the second biggest need in the Three Forks area, and part of this is generated from not having enough transportation options for medical services in Bozeman and Belgrade.
Ross shared a quote from the needs assessment that shared concerns from a resident about accessing health care out of town.
"Services outside of the Bozeman and Belgrade area are often harder to access for some in our community. I appreciate any HRDC efforts to provide services to the small communities in our area," said the resident.
Discussing the future, Ross said if they cannot find a driver right away, they might have to pause the local service for at least now, but they know there is a need in the community.
Ross discussed the possibility of a hybrid that would continue the current service and incorporate a vanpool if they could find the right people. She added the issue with a vanpool is that it is hard to get consistent volunteers.
With the possible pause of the service, Ross said some riders would be able to carpool, but that would be difficult in the winter. She added the current driver has volunteered to help once a month, and they have started conversations about home options for dialysis.
As far as a potential hire, Ross said they would be able to provide better service if the employee would be somebody that lives in Three Forks or Manhattan.
The application for the driver position can be found at https://hrdc.bamboohr.com/careers/523.
