Ford Donates New Transit Connect to WellCar Program

Ford Transit Connect WellCar

Ford recently donated a Transit Connect to the University of Kansas’ WellCar program to assist the group in providing healthcare services in rural areas. This vehicle will provide support for doctors and medical professionals offering care to people who might not live near a medical facility.

Since the Ford Ranger ended production, small businesses around the country have turned to the Transit Connect to fill their needs. The vehicle gets up to 30 mpg on the highway. This makes it great for the WellCar staff who have to travel long distances to meet patients. Plenty of storage options means that the doctors and staff can also carry the medical equipment they need to provide care on site.

The van is a fully-functional prototype. Unlike other roaming medical service vehicles, this Transit Connect can provide services beyond basic first aid and immunization. Built-in wireless Internet lets the nurse practitioner on board send information in real time to the hospital.

University of Kansas design and engineering students will oversee the installation of the medical equipment. The school plans on adding several more vehicles to the fleet and grow the program to include all of western Kansas.

Other schools have approached the University of Kansas about offering their services in other parts of the country. Providing timely care helps lower hospital visits and overall medical costs. Such services wouldn’t be financially feasible if it weren’t for fuel efficient small utility vehicles like the Ford Transit Connect.

We think the Transit Connect is a great choice for a program like this because of the vehicle’s versatility. Be sure to check out our impressions of the 2014 Ford Transit Connect.

Chad Kirchner

Chad Kirchner is a freelance automotive journalist with a sincere passion for the industry and helping people. He’s a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association and the Texas Auto Writers Association. When not writing about the latest automotive news or vehicles, you can catch him at car shows around the country. Be sure to check him out on social media, including Google+ and Twitter.