Dolores Galaz Addison has several day jobs: a Registered Dietitian at the Indian Health Service, a lieutenant in the U.S. Public Health Service, the TRP transportation coordinator and Sells vanpool manager. How does she do it all when managing the vanpool program alone is like running a small business?

Dolores keeps everything running with the help of the Sells Commuter Vanpool Association, a volunteer group of vanpool riders and drivers, and elected officers who help with the daily operations of the vanpool.  The Association determines the monthly fares and sets the operating policies. Dolores keeps track of all the people, recruits the drivers, and submits all the paperwork and logs to PAG’s vanpool contractor, VPSI.

The first IHS vanpools hit the rode in 2004. IHS will soon have 10 operating vanpools and almost 100 vanpoolers, an increase of seven vans in five years.

All but one of the vans originates in Tucson at the Veterans Administration Hospital on S. 6th Avenue and travels the 60 miles to Sells. The vanpools have a variety of schedules given that the participants work at Sells Indian Hospital and hospitals never close. Most vans operate Monday through Friday, but others travel seven days a week or spend the night in Sells.  A new van starting this month will travel another 45 miles west of Sells to a new clinic in San Simon.

Congratulations Dolores. In July alone, IHS commuters saved 79,859 vehicle miles.