'Not an airline, but we are a lifeline': Hope Air has been helping people access medical care for 40 years

Charity provides assistance to those who have to travel long distances for health care

Hope Air celebrates 40 years of helping Canadians access health care

Hope Air, a national charity that provides non-emergency medical support to people in financial need, is celebrating 40 years of improving access to health care.

The national charity, which started in 1986, provides assistance to those who have to travel long distances for care. It helps with the cost of flights, hotel stays, bridge tolls, ferry passes and more supports that help people access health services that aren't available to them closer to home.

Jaclyn Sullivan, Hope Air's director for Atlantic Canada, says the organization is "not an airline, but we are a lifeline."

"We started with flights first as the mentality … to get people to travel quickly," Sullivan told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin.

"On the Island, there are many people who need to access care in Moncton or Halifax, and driving is simply more practical."

Hope Air saw spike in Islanders needing assistance with medical travel last year

Number of people seeking funding to reach off-Island medical care has doubled, Hope Air says

Hope Air has partnered with Health P.E.I. and the provincial government to provide things a patient needs, including five nights of hotel accommodation, meal vouchers and gas cards.

"Patients tell us that the biggest relief is … it allows you to focus on what's important — to focus on your health, focus on getting well, focus on your child," Sullivan said.

"If something happens like your flight gets changed or your appointment gets changed, you have to reschedule, you don't know what you're going to do — our client-care team is there to support them throughout that journey."

Why are more people using medical travel arrangements to get care off-Island

Last year, Sullivan said, Hope Air supported 1,780 trips for patients and nearly 6,000 travel arrangements.

The average income of patients Hope Air supports across the country is $30,000 per year. With an average trip potentially costing thousands of dollars, expenses add up quickly.

"It's important that that travel is looked at as an integral part of our health-care system," Sullivan said.

"Every dollar counts, and we support people across the country."

Lucas McInnis is a journalist at CBC Prince Edward Island. He can be reached at lucas.mcinnis@cbc.ca.

With files from CBC News: Compass