Unite Us, a technology company that builds networks to connect health and social care providers, has joined forces with Lyft to provide ride-enabled referrals through the Unite Us platform.

By integrating Lyft's ridesharing services with Unite Us' care network, people will have improved access to health and social care services, according to the company. Coordinators and service providers who use Unite Us can now order or schedule a Lyft ride to help patients access the care they need. 

"At Lyft, we recognize the role that transportation plays in unlocking access to health and social care, and we're proud to partner with forward-thinking healthcare organizations who share this goal," said Megan Callahan, vice president of healthcare at Lyft. "Our partnership with Unite Us represents a significant step towards improving community health and evolving the way that people can access critical medical and social care services. I'm excited to see the impact that a partnership like this will bring to local communities."

Unite Us works to bring together community-based organizations that provide services to meet people's needs which impact health — such as income, education, and nutrition — into a secure and accountable ecosystem to coordinate and track outcomes across communities. 

In 2016, Lyft entered the healthcare sector when it identified an unmet need for on-demand non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services. Currently, Lyft partners with healthcare organizations — including health plans, transportation managers, and health systems — across the country to reduce transportation barriers to improve access to programs and services that promote overall health. 

"Unite Us has spent seven years building and refining coordinated care networks that align and connect our social and health care partners around a shared goal to improve care in communities," says Taylor Justice, president of Unite Us. "Our experience has enabled us to identify gaps in services — and transportation is a big one, everywhere. This partnership with Lyft will enable our partners to do an even better job of ensuring that people get the services they need when they need them."