If you need to see the doctor but don’t have a way to get there, Suwannee Valley Transit Authority (SVTA) may be able to help.

The service transports 450-500 people a day in Suwannee, Columbia and Hamilton counties, said Regional Administrator Jimmy Swisher.

The buses go as far as Gainesville, Jacksonville and Tallahassee for medical trips. The agency runs five buses daily in Live Oak and operates a total of 55 in its region, including other transport services SVTA contracts with. All buses are handicapped-accessible.

Driver Supervisor Charles Brim said the agency has 13 full-time drivers on staff.

Swisher said though routes run Monday through Friday, the service also accommodates dialysis patients on Saturdays.

“We serve the medical needs of people that can’t provide their own transportation,” Swisher said.

Swisher said his services result in fewer county emergency units being tied up with non-emergency calls to the hospital.

Those who suffer financial hardships as well as those who are mentally or physically unable to drive are eligible for services. SVTA provides services for non-emergency medical transportation only. It does not function as public transportation unit to provide shopping routes or take employees to work.

Fees range from $2-$22 depending on the route. Financial assistance is available to those who have been given a referral through another agency. Medicaid recipients receive services free of charge due to funding through Medicaid.

Swisher said SVTA serves 35,000-40,000 Medicaid clients in its region; 14,000-15,000 in Suwannee County.

SVTA does not have a bus stop. They pick up clients at their homes.

SVTA also buses Comprehensive Community Services clients, a local agency which serves those with disabilities, to and from its day program.

“The transit authority has always been a good provider for us. We have always been pleased with the relationship they have with the clients we work with,” said CCS Executive Director Bobbie Lake.

SVTA has an exceptional safety record. The SVTA garnered the 2006 Safety Award of the Year, meaning it was rated among the safest agencies in its district by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Swisher said SVTA’s budget is about $4 million annually. The agency receives $52,000 annually from Suwannee, Hamilton and Columbia counties collectively. It receives $2.9 million from Medicaid and the rest comes from state and federal funds.

“The biggest question I get from those moving in from South Florida is, ‘Where is the bus stop?'” Swisher said.

He said until the agency receives a sizable increase in federal funding they cannot provide public transportation.

Persons eligible for services may schedule an appointment by calling 386-362-5332. All appointments should be scheduled 72 hours in advance.