IndyGo announces Wellness in Transit Pilot, offering free healthcare

IndyGo partnered with Gennesaret Free Clinics to launch its newest program, “Wellness in Transit,” devoted to holistic community health.

The pilot, beginning May 17, will consist of a mobile medical clinic parked at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center, providing free healthcare services to visitors regardless of health insurance status.

Currently, IndyGo says there are few free walk-in social services available within the downtown core. The goal of Wellness in Transit is to fill this need and provide resources to enhance the well-being of riders while reducing the transportation burden of an added trip.

The public can access the clinic every Tuesday, May through October, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. parked at the Carson Transit Center on Washington Street. The clinic will conveniently connect riders and vulnerable populations to quality, free healthcare.

“Transit directly impacts an individual’s ability to access services that improve health and well-being,” said IndyGo President and CEO Inez Evans. “IndyGo’s mission centers around connecting our community to vital opportunities like this through mobility experiences. The launch of this service at our transit center, in the heart of Indianapolis, will allow our program to have the greatest impact and reach the densest number of transit riders.”

Gennesaret Free Clinics has annually served thousands of the most vulnerable individuals in Indianapolis, including many living in poverty. IndyGo says the clinic provides quality, accessible and compassionate patient-centered healthcare for persons experiencing homelessness or lacking established healthcare. Gennesaret mobile clinic sites are designed to treat minor illnesses and injury to avoid facing major illness and injury. This care includes free medical services and prescriptions.

“Gennesaret is thrilled to work with IndyGo on this project that will be essential for so many people in the community, including those facing barriers to accessing quality healthcare,” said Gennesaret Free Clinics Executive Director Theresa Patterson. “Healthcare is a human right. Having accessible and affordable healthcare should be available to everyone, and we’re making it happen.”

IndyGo hopes to expand the program’s offerings that connect riders to public health services once the pilot is complete. Wellness in Transit will build upon the success of the free pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Carson Transit Center by partnering with local human services agencies to fill gaps within the healthcare system.

Human services organizations that would like to participate in the program when it expands can visit the IndyGo website to learn more.