Southwest Airlines announced this week the 79 nonprofit hospitals and medical organizations across the nation that will benefit from the Southwest Airlines® Medical Transportation Grant Program (MTGP). Throughout 2018, these hospitals and medical organizations all will receive roundtrip tickets for distribution among patients and/or caregivers as a way to help alleviate travel expenses related to medical issues.
"Southwest is proud to continue to offer travel assistance to those patients and caregivers in need through our Medical Transportation Grant Program," said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer. "Travel is often a critical part of getting patients the care they need—we hope to make that journey just a little bit easier for those families in such a trying time."
By providing roundtrip air travel to various hospitals and organizations, MTGP will reach a total of 100 facilities across the United States—spanning 26 states in 41 different cities. Since MTGP's inception in 2007, more than 69,000 tickets for roundtrip air travel —valued at more than $27.6 million—have been donated to nonprofit hospitals and medical organizations, allowing Southwest to positively impact patients and caregivers around the country.
"Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant Program has been a tremendous support to MD Anderson Cancer Center," said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. "Their support over the last 10 years has enabled many of our patients to avoid the financial worry about transportation costs, and for that, we and our patients are extremely grateful."
A full list of the participating hospitals and organizations can be found at Southwest.com/medicalgrant. To learn about qualifications for travel assistance through the designated organizations, please directly contact the Social Work, Travel/Concierge Service, or Patient Assistance Departments at the hospitals and medical organizations listed online, as each has unique guidelines for the administration of the tickets.
