Free Medical, Vision & Dental Services Provided to Residents of the Inland Empire
09/05/2013
Nearly 5,000 medical, dental, vision, and acupuncture services were provided to thousands of Inland Empire residents at the 2nd annual Care 4 a Healthy I.E. The three day health clinic hosted by Molina Healthcare, Molina Medical and Tzu Chi Medical Foundation was held June 21 through June 23, 2013 at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino.
“The lines started forming hours before the event was scheduled to start,” said Richard Chambers, president of Molina Healthcare of California. “Some even camped out the night before illustrating the tremendous need for medical, dental and vision services. This event is what our mission is all about —providing access to health care for those who need it most.”
Many lined up in the early hours of the day to ensure they would receive the medical attention they needed. Some learned about health conditions they were not aware of like diabetes or high blood pressure. In addition to those served, more than 100 vouchers for free medical, dental, vision, and acupuncture services were offered to those who were unable to receive the desired services due to patient capacity.
In order to provide the medical, dental, and vision care for the event, hundreds of health care professionals including dentists, physicians, medical assistants, nursing students and other volunteers helped staff the event. The Tzu Chi Medical Foundation set up portable dental stations and performed root canals and extractions in one large onsite mobile dental units. Another mobile unit provided vision screenings and offered glasses to those who showed a need.
In addition to the medical, vision and dental services, Care 4 a Healthy I.E. also offered a community portion on Saturday where more than 60 local agencies provided health resources and education as well as fun and entertainment for youngsters. Agencies participating in the event were Supercuts which provided free haircuts to more than 150individuals, Helping Hands Pantry which distributed more than 11,000 pieces of fruit and Catholic Charities which enrolled those individuals and families who qualified into programs to receive food stamps and other forms of state and county assistance as well as the Mexican Consulate which provided more than 200 individuals with passport and ID services.