Medical Transportation to VHC Health (formerly Virginia Hospital Center)

Getting to VHC Health

Arlington pickups are more vertical than anywhere else we serve, and that changes the trip.

A raised-roof wheelchair van does not fit in most residential garages. Buildings along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor commonly post clearances our vans exceed. That is not a reason the trip can’t happen — we pick up at the street entrance or the loading bay instead. Tell us the building and we will know or we will call ahead and find out.

Most buildings prefer a service entrance to the front covered entrance, and some want the front desk notified before a vehicle arrives. Fifteen seconds of that at booking saves fifteen minutes at the door.

We also run to VHC Health from Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax and across the river.

Discharge, and the DC question

Two patterns cover nearly everything we do at a hospital.

Discharges. A patient has been cleared to leave and is going home, or on to a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility. This is the larger half of our hospital work.

Scheduled arrivals. Bringing a patient in for an appointment, an infusion, imaging or an outpatient procedure — and collecting them afterwards.

What we don’t do is take anyone to the emergency room, or move a patient from here to another hospital for a higher level of care. Both of those are ambulance trips.

Facilities get a three-hour lead time, including stretcher.

The particular thing about Arlington is how often the care isn’t in Arlington. A great many VHC Health patients are referred across the bridge — MedStar Georgetown, George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial and Howard University Hospital. We take those riders to scheduled appointments and procedures, and we bring them home again afterwards.

We hold WMATC authority 3449, which is what a carrier needs to operate across the DC line legally. An operator without it either turns the trip down or runs it anyway, and you do not want to discover which at the curb. A Virginia-to-DC trip travels on one booking with one carrier, and there is no surcharge for the crossing.

Levels of service

Which vehicle you need depends on how the rider moves, not how far they’re going.

Ambulatory — the rider can walk to and from the vehicle with a steadying arm. The driver assists at both ends.
Wheelchair transportation — the rider stays in their chair. Ramps on our minivans, hydraulic lifts on our full-size vans, and four-point securement before the vehicle moves. You don’t need to own a chair; we can provide one.
Stretcher — the rider can’t sit upright safely for the journey. Two crew on every stretcher trip.
Bariatric — over 300 pounds, with equipment rated for it and additional crew. Fewer vehicles, so more notice helps.

If you’re not sure, call and describe the situation. Getting this right before dispatch matters more than anything else about the booking.

Booking and cost

Dispatch answers around the clock at (703) 304-7889. A day’s notice is comfortable for an appointment; facilities scheduling a discharge get a three-hour lead time, including for stretcher.

Our rate card and estimator are published, so you can work out the price before you call. If the ride is covered by Medicaid, book through your plan’s transportation broker rather than through us — the number is on the back of the member’s ID card. Medicare generally does not cover non-emergency medical transportation.

What we can’t take

H&M Transport runs non-emergency medical transportation. We carry people to scheduled medical care and back home again, and the ride itself is transport rather than treatment.

That means there are trips we can’t take. We are not an ambulance service. We don’t provide medical care or monitoring on board, we don’t transport anyone to an emergency room, and we don’t move patients from one hospital to another for a higher level of care. Those are ambulance trips, and they need a crew and a vehicle equipped for them.

If this is a medical emergency, call 911.

If you’re not sure which you need, call us and describe the situation. We would rather tell you to dial 911 than send the wrong vehicle.

Common questions

Can you take a VHC Health patient to an appointment in DC?

Yes. Many VHC Health patients see specialists at MedStar Georgetown, George Washington University Hospital, Sibley Memorial or Howard University Hospital. We take them to scheduled appointments and procedures and bring them home.

Is there an extra charge for crossing into DC from VHC Health?

No. Our WMATC authority 3449 lets us operate across the DC line legally. The trip runs on one booking with one carrier, with no surcharge for the crossing.

Can your wheelchair van get into my Arlington building’s garage?

Usually not, because many Rosslyn-Ballston buildings post clearances our raised-roof vans exceed. We pick up at the street entrance or loading bay instead. Tell us the building and we will know or call ahead.

Which entrance should the driver use at my Arlington building?

Most buildings prefer a service entrance to the front covered entrance. Some want the front desk notified before a vehicle arrives, so mention it at booking.

What if the appointment runs long or I don’t know my return time?

Book the return as a will-call. If you can, call dispatch a little before your appointment wraps up, and we’ll start a driver your way so you wait as little as possible. If you can’t call until you’re finished, that’s fine: we’ll route the closest available driver, and our standard is to pick you up within 45 minutes of your call. The earlier you call, the shorter your wait. If you’d rather have the driver wait on site, prescheduled wait time is $75 an hour for wheelchair trips and $100 an hour for stretcher trips.

Do you transport patients on isolation precautions, such as C. diff, MRSA or COVID?

Yes, with notice. Tell us about any isolation precautions when you book. The crew wears the protective equipment the precautions call for, and the vehicle is disinfected after the trip. An additional charge applies, and dispatch will quote it when you book.

How do I ask for H&M Transport through Virginia Medicaid?

Call the transportation number on your Medicaid ID card; the brokers we work with are MTM Health and SafeRide Health. Request H&M Transport specifically when you book your ride. Covered rides to medical appointments cost the member nothing.

Book a ride to VHC Health

Pairs with our Arlington service area page.

Call (703) 304-7889, any hour, or start on our reservations page.