It may have looked a little different this year, but HLTH 2021 was as exciting as ever. Hosted in Boston, Lyft joined more than 3000 attendees for four days of brilliant speakers and innovative ideas.

The event brought together leaders from across the industry to discuss the future of health — everything from creating programs designed for equity, to moving beyond the pandemic. 

Here are 3 key highlights:

Social determinants of health continue to be top of mind for healthcare leaders

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light many health disparities that have long existed here in the U.S. A blanket term for some of these disparities is social determinants of health, which encompasses things like food access, housing, mental health and transportation.

A major theme discussed at the event was how to effectively engage underserved and vulnerable populations, and work toward more equitable care. One specific focus expanded on the growth and positive impact of value-based care companies like Oak Street Health.  

From establishing centers in low-income communities where care is not easily accessible to hiring specialized care managers, Dr. Marisa Rogers, Executive Medical Director of Oak Street Health, explained that solutions like these can help address health disparities and improve overall health outcomes. 

At Lyft, we recognize that transportation is a critical social determinant of health. That’s why we’re taking action to push the pace of innovation by bringing care to patients faster. Check out our whitepaper to learn more about why healthcare providers like Alameda Health System, and payers like the Centene Corporation, and AmeriHealth Caritas DC are turning to rideshare for a more cost-effective, reliable, and convenient solution to care. 

Leading the next generation of patient care

With the unprecedented shift to a virtual world, it’s never been more important to be accessible and inclusive across the healthcare ecosystem. 

Throughout the conference, presenters from the world's biggest tech companies pitched a range of solutions. Microsoft hosted a talk on cloud capabilities to enrich and normalize data with advanced AI technologies. And Amazon put a spotlight on their expansion with Alexa Health Skills, which helps customers manage health care tasks and adhere to their doctor-ordered care plan at home.

In the same spirit of putting the consumer first, we’re committed to building scalable transportation programs to care. In addition to Lyft Concierge, which allows organizations to arrange rides for patients and healthcare workers, this year we launched Lyft Pass for Healthcare to put the power of Lyft into the patient’s hand.

Eligible patients, health plan members, and Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries can leverage our technology to request a ride to and from their medical appointment or other destination via the Lyft app. At the same time, we’re providing organizations with access to built-in controls for budget, location, compliance, and more! 

Moving forward together to improve access to care 

Working together to move forward beyond the pandemic was a trending topic this year at HLTH. From expanding the front door of virtual care to digital transformation, many sessions honed in on the criticality of collaboration across the health ecosystem. 

On Lyft’s end, we’re transforming the patient experience and improving the way we deliver care.

One example of this is from Alexus, a young mom who relied on CareSource’s transportation program with Lyft for clean, safe and convenient transportation for her postpartum care. Hear her story here. 

At the end of the day, Lyft is passionate about community transportation and partnering with leading healthcare organizations. In fact, we were excited to showcase this first-hand at HLTH, where our ambassadors were back on the ground, helping attendees get to and from the conference. Our pickup/drop-off area outside the Boston Convention Event Center allowed the largest network of healthcare professionals to enjoy reliable and convenient rides throughout the event! 

And that’s a wrap for 2021! We want to thank everyone who made the time to connect with us — whether at a pre-scheduled meeting, or by stopping by our booth. We hope to see you all at HLTH 2022 in Las Vegas next year. If you’d like to learn more about Lyft for Healthcare, reach out here.