Grinnell College offers a range of Local Transportation services designed to ensure students can easily access essential medical and health resources within the Grinnell area. Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) and Campus Safety provide reliable and free options for students needing to reach medical appointments, pharmacies, and other authorized locations in town. Understanding these services is key to navigating your health and wellness needs while studying at Grinnell.
Accessing Medical Appointments with SHAW Transportation
Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) provides complimentary local transportation to medical and mental health appointments, as well as to local pharmacies. This service is designed to remove barriers to healthcare access for students. To schedule a ride, simply call or visit SHAW. After your appointment, contacting SHAW again will arrange your return trip back to campus, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience.
Alt text: A Grinnell College student is being assisted into an accessible van, representing the local transportation service provided for medical appointments.
For students with mobility limitations, an accessible van is available. It is important to note that this specialized service requires pre-scheduling at least 24 hours in advance of your in-town appointment. This advance notice helps SHAW accommodate all requests and ensure the accessible van is available when needed. Remember that free local transportation through SHAW is specifically for appointments within Grinnell. For destinations outside of Grinnell, students can explore options through Facilities Management, although these services may incur a cost.
Convenient Prescription Pick-Up Services
Grinnell is home to three pharmacies: Hy-Vee, Medicap, and Walmart, all readily accessible for students. SHAW extends its local transportation service to include trips to and from these pharmacies, making prescription pick-up convenient.
Alt text: Prescription bags being delivered to the SHAW office, highlighting the local pharmacy delivery services available to Grinnell College students.
Notably, both Medicap and Hy-Vee offer prescription delivery directly to SHAW upon request. For first-time prescription pick-ups, a visit to the pharmacy is necessary to set up a payment method on file. It’s important to remember that Walmart does not offer delivery services. To ensure you never run out of essential medications, always call for refills a few days before your current prescription is depleted.
Here are the contact details for the local pharmacies:
- Hy-Vee pharmacy: 641-236-4287
- Medicap pharmacy: 641-236-3663
- Walmart pharmacy: 641-236-6333
After-Hours Transportation Assistance
For after-hours local transportation needs to a medical appointment or pharmacy within Grinnell, Campus Safety is available to assist. By calling Campus Safety at 641-269-4600 during after-hours, students can still access essential services when SHAW is closed.
Alt text: A Grinnell College Campus Safety vehicle parked near a pharmacy, illustrating the after-hours local transportation service for students.
Safe Rides within Grinnell
The Grinnell College Escort Service, known as Safe Rides, further enhances local transportation safety and accessibility. This service provides escorts anywhere within the Campus Safety patrol area or to authorized locations within the city of Grinnell. Campus Safety staff members offer both walking and driving escorts, equipped with two-way radios for direct communication with the Communication Center, ensuring a secure and supported ride.
To request a safety escort, contact the Grinnell College Department of Campus Safety at extension 4600 (on-campus) or 641-269-4600 (off-campus). Safe Rides is a valuable resource for students needing safe local transportation within the Grinnell community, particularly during evenings or when feeling less comfortable traveling alone.
Alt text: A Grinnell College student being escorted by a Campus Safety officer at night, demonstrating the Safe Rides local transportation service for student safety.
By utilizing these local transportation services, Grinnell College students can confidently manage their health and wellness needs, knowing that reliable and free transportation options are readily available to them.
