OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A patient was stuck at a doctor's office for nearly four hours, unable to get home, because the company that transports her never showed up.
Felicia Thorns can't understand how she ended up stuck in her electric wheelchair, stranded in the building with a cleaning crew Tuesday evening.
"They said it was a mistake, but my thing is, they didn't even contact me until I contacted them," Thorns said.
Thorns said transportation company LogistiCare contracted a company to drop her off but nobody returned to pick her up. Her pickup was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and when she called to find out where the driver was they told her she would have to wait three to four hours and that if they did find someone to get her she would have to pay for it.
Due to the weight of her electric wheelchair she couldn't use a taxi or ride-share, so she waited. By 8:45 p.m. she still didn't have a ride.
"I really don't have a choice, you have to get to your appointments," Thorns said.
Back in 2016 Local 4 exposed how the company was accused of leaving patients stranded. LogistiCare still handles a $60 million state contract to hire private companies to transport Medicaid patients. LogistiCare has launched an investigation into what happened to Thorns.
Local 4 contacted a private company to pick up Thorns and take her down the street to Southfield.
LogistiCare released the following statement Tuesday night: "We were just made aware of the situation tonight. As a result, we are investigating the matter."
LogistiCare released this statement Wednesday night: "We have been in contact with Ms. Thorns to assure her we are investigating the issue she experienced. At LogistiCare, every member and ride matters. As such, we will take appropriate steps based on the findings to make sure corrective actions are implemented where necessary."
Coverage from 2016: