Featured photo credit: Steve Buissinne/Pixabay
Written by Dr. Aisha Harris
How are you getting to wherever you need to be, or are going? Do you drive a car? Do you
walk? Do you take a bus? Do you get a ride from someone? Transportation plays an important
role in how we live our day-to-day lives. Everything we do outside of our homes depends on
how we get there. Or, in some cases, how we do not get there.
Did you know transportation is a social determinant of health? Meaning it directly and indirectly
impacts how we access health care, obtain wellness and manage our chronic medical
problems. Our transportation options are both within and out of our control, which makes it a
complex area to discuss when it comes to health outcomes and quality of life.
Transportation can be seen through multiple perspectives. One is our personal transportation,
and another is the transportation infrastructure: our community. Both are dependent on the
other, but they impact health in different ways.
Personal transportation includes transportation options such as walking, driving a car, riding a
bus, riding a bike, etc. Going anywhere and everywhere requires some thought of the
transportation options someone has. Additionally, transportation needs vary based on the
person and their responsibilities, finances, neighborhood and physical ability.
In health, transportation is essential to how people access health care and maintain health,
whether it is getting to the doctor, picking up medication from the pharmacy, going to the
grocery store to maintain nutritional needs, or walking around their neighborhood to get more
exercise. Millions of people in the United States do not get medical care because of
transportation issues. Transportation issues include long distances, no vehicle access,
transportation costs or even inadequate infrastructure to help address their transportation
needs.

How people get to places determines if they will be able to ultimately get care and maintain
care. Because if people cannot get to various places, there may be medical delays, medical
complications, or inadequate follow up of recommendations and plans. Thinking about
transportation – reliable and adequate transportation, will help us be better prepared for what
our transportation options and needs are in order to access health care appropriately, timely
and consistently so we can care for ourselves and our families.
Transportation infrastructures also play an important role in how we access health care. Not
every city is walkable. Not every person is able to walk a walkable city. Not every city has
buses. Not every person can afford public transportation. Not every person has access to a
car. Not every person can drive a car, or drive long distances to an appointment. There are a
lot of variables when it comes to the transportation infrastructure. There are a lot of options to
how a city, urban or rural, can look when it comes to transportation. But the infrastructure we
create in our communities must adapt and include the needs of the entire community in order
to not create more barriers and challenges, but help address them.
Within the city of Flint, we have the Mass Transportation Authority that runs our bus system.
There are a variety of routes, but we have to ask ourselves: are there enough routes? Are the routes
working for people? How many people need to ride the bus? As the Vehicle City, how many
people in Flint have cars? How many need cars? How many can afford cars? In our
neighborhoods, how many neighborhoods are walkable? How many bike paths are available?
Questions have to be asked continuously, every quarter and every year, so we know how the
infrastructure is working or not working for our current population. Transportation impacts how
we access health, food, work, school and more. So, if we are not adapting and building toward
better transportation options and infrastructures, barriers will leave people behind, waiting to
get places they need to be. This will lead to physical, mental, emotional and financial decline
as things that should be done and need to be done will not be done without the ability to move
as needed.
So it might not seem like a connected topic, but transportation is important for health. Local
and state policies and strategic plans influence our today and our tomorrow. Reflecting on our
transpiration options, needs and wants will help us build a better community for ourselves and
our families. Having a primary care doctor is important for prevention and management of
medical problems. But getting to that doctor is sometimes the hardest step for many people
for a variety of reasons we should be working to address and resolve.
Dr. Aisha Harris, MD is a Flint native and board-certified family medicine doctor at
Harris Family Health in Flint, Michigan. Harris Family Health is a membership-based clinic that
provides personalized and full primary care to adults and children. Learn more about Harris
Family Health by visiting www.harrisfamilyhealth.com.
Feel free to submit health questions to Dr. Harris via theflintcouriernews@gmail.com.