Council members discussed limits on volunteer driving, options for medical transport and a proposal to hold a volunteer training meeting to clarify procedures for appointment rides.

Several members recounted a recent call from a family seeking same-day transport to a medical appointment. Members said the senior-center van (the "mart"/meal/transport van) will provide rides to appointments but typically will not provide medical personnel to accompany a rider or take patients for procedures that require clinical supervision. The fire department does not provide routine medical transport for appointments, they said.

Members noted that Medicaid can cover transportation for eligible recipients and that specialized transport services exist for people who need medical monitoring. Claudia Provencal and Nancy Afonso described the practical limits: volunteer drivers generally should not transport medically fragile people alone and family members or medical escorts are necessary when a patient requires physical assistance or clinical observation.

The council agreed to schedule a meeting for volunteers in January to review phone procedures, chain-of-command for urgent calls, HIPAA considerations and who to contact when a transport issue arises. Members suggested a short informal roster of primary contacts (director or designated staff) so callers know who to reach first on short notice.

"Your first line of defense, call Claudia. If you can't get Claudia, call Nancy," a member said, describing the intended point of contact flow. Members stressed that accurate notes and a single point of contact reduce confusion when multiple volunteers respond to the same request.