Health Wagon continues free medical care tradition at summer clinic

WISE – With more than 150 volunteers and partners from Michigan, Illinois, Washington, D.C., Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina, The Health Wagon entered its 27th year Friday of providing free summer clinics for the region.The Move Mountains Medical Clinic drew an estimated 375 medical patients and 175 eye care patients at the Health Wagon's Wise medical and dental campus on day one, according to spokesperson Mary Ellen Miller.Dental and eye care were among the services in high demand, Health Wagon CEO Teresa Tyson said between stops at the various examination stations. Besides basic physical examinations and medical tests, services included pediatrics, nutrition, mammograms and women's care, radiology services, dermatology and more."We have probably more specialty services converge on this area than we've ever had before," said Tyson. "All the specialist services are so important because we don't have these services, certainly not for free."The Health Wagon generally serves medical needs for uninsured and underinsured people in Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee and eastern Kentucky, Tyson said. The organization has helped during disasters in the region, she added, and that help has resulted in various partnerships with other medical organizations."West Virginia Health Right (a counterpart free medical service group in Charleston, West Virginia) returned the favor and sent a fully stocked dental mobile unit," said Tyson, "and we are so grateful for that."Several universities and colleges sent volunteers for the two-day event, including a team of 30 students and four faculty members from Howard University's College of Dentistry in Washington, D.C."We've come here over the years to take the best care of our patients," said Howard associate professor Dr. Gail Cherry-Peppers of her volunteers.While Friday was the Howard team's first trip to Wise, Cherry-Peppers said her students have volunteered in the Wythe County area for four years and see similar dental care issues across the country."When you're seeing an underserved population, they go many years with pain, abscesses and all over the U.S. it is the same," said Cherry-Peppers."Our students are hardworking and very enthusiastic, very empathetic and they understand the needs of the community and patients," said fellow Howard professor Dr. Aliya Kassam. "They're definitely getting the exposure and experiences that they need.""The only problems we have with our students are getting them to leave and getting them to eat lunch," Cherry-Peppers said with a laugh."They have a lot of stamina and enthusiasm," said Kassam, laughing. "We've been doing it a little longer so we have to say, 'Give us a minute.'""Dr. Cherry-Peppers has so much passion and compassion and she brought that amazing team," said Tyson. "When they arrived, they actually started working last night because we had patients who were so much in need for dental care."Virginia Beach psychiatrist Dr. Ben Carey and his wife, Gate City native and nurse practitioner Ivy Carey, were among returning volunteers to the M7 clinic. Dr. Carey said the Health Wagon's care model – volunteer help and referral and supporting care in the area – has helped ensure continuity of care and needed medicines for patients."I've done volunteer work in the Dominican Republic, and it's hard to keep up with patients and make sure that they are able to keep getting needed medications," said Carey. "It's much better here. There's follow-ups and we come back on a quarterly basis to work with patients."Karen Hobbs of managed care organization Centene – another M7 veteran – operated an eye care screening and exam service Friday with Gene Lamm and ophthalmologist David Kiser. Lions Club members helped patients select frames for free glasses."We go all over the United States," said Hobbs. "Gene will be in Uvalde, Texas next week, I'll be in Nebraska with our dental van and then we go to Washington state then back down to Texas and Florida. That's all in the month of August.""We came here three or four years ago," said Hobbs, "but the Health Wagon loved us so much we came back to help them out." Centene has come to the region 10 times since that first visit, said Hobbs. Kiser, a Russell County native who practices in Marion and Abingdon, has past experience with Remote Area Medical clinics in the region and said he has seen how important eye care is to underserved and underinsured residents.This weekend's patients who need glasses will receive them by mail in about four weeks.The Health Wagon serves patients across several Southwest Virginia counties and localities, including Scott, Lee and Wise counties.The Move Mountains clinic continues Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Health Wagon Campus, 5626 Patriot Drive, Wise.