July 30, 2004

Shuttle service makes a difference

MGH employees and patients rely heavily on Partners Transportation's shuttle service to take them to MGH affiliates and other Partners institutions for medical appointments, business meetings or for patient care activities. The road closures and detours in Boston to accommodate the Democratic National Convention (DNC) could have thrown the shuttle service into chaos, but the Partners Transportation staff made thorough plans and thoughtful changes to make sure the shuttle system ran as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Lisa Scannell, director of Transportation Business Operations, and John Donovan, manager of Logistical Operations, worked diligently with their staff to make necessary changes to the Partners shuttle system — which included revised schedules for some shuttle routes — to ensure that services were maintained despite the traffic changes enforced by the local and state police during the convention.

One major change to the shuttle system during the DNC was to add a shuttle service to the Sullivan Square MBTA station to transport MGH and Partners employees from the Orange Line to the MGH main campus and CNY.

"Our goal was to move our riders in the safest, most efficient manner possible," says Scannell. "Using Sullivan Square as an alternative to North Station allowed for a prompt commute to CNY while avoiding the congestion in the Haymarket area on the way to the MGH. Our drivers really made the difference. Without their dedication and flexibility, the week would have been a bit bumpy."

Nick Lepore, left, and Bob Hubbard from Partners Transportation helped passengers from Sullivan Square get to their destinations.