'Huge deal': Military medical workers will come to the Tri-State to offer free healthcare
Around 200 medical professionals serving in the U.S. military will come to the Tri-State next month for about two weeks of training – and while they’re here, they’ll provide free medical care for anyone who needs it.
Reservists and active-duty individuals will set up a makeshift clinic at South Middle School in Henderson, Kentucky, from June 15-25.
According to Green River Area Wellness, the clinic will offer everything from basic medical exams and physicals to vision and dental services. There will even be limited veterinary options for residents’ dogs and cats at the Henderson County Fairgrounds.
And none of it will cost patients a dime, said Holli Blanford, Henderson’s public information officer. There are no residency requirements, and people don’t even have to bring identification. Anyone 3 or older can get treatment.
“The idea behind this mission is sort of two-fold: our community and surrounding communities are gonna benefit from the no-cost healthcare that they’re gonna provide,” Blanford said. “But in turn, the military members are also going to be gaining invaluable experience treating both humans and animals.
“That gives them practice if they have to go into a war zone or natural disaster situation."
Called “innovative readiness training,” the initiative is coming to Henderson after the city worked with the Green River Area Development District to apply for a grant through the Delta Regional Authority: a federal partnership formed in 2000 to “promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions,” its website states. Henderson was ultimately chosen over several other applicants.
Many of the healthcare workers will live on-site while the clinic is in operation, sleeping on cots inside the middle school, an official told the Courier & Press.
Blanford said around 95% of them in the medical field in their private lives. They’ll provide:
Basic medical and wellness exams
Physicals
Nutrition advice
Vision exams
The making of eyeglasses on-site
Dental exams, as well as sealants, fillings and extractions
Two days of veterinary services, including wellness checks and vaccines for dogs and cats
Blanford said the animal care is limited for a good reason. While the veterinarians and techs are in town, they’ll spend most of their time spaying and neutering every shelter pet in Henderson County. That includes animals at both the humane society and New Hope Animal Rescue.
The clinic will be open everyday except for Saturday, June 22. Its hours fluctuate depending on the day, usually running from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On two days, June 21 and June 25, it will be open from 8 a.m. to noon. The vet clinic at the fairgrounds, meanwhile, will operate June 23-24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“It’s a huge deal,” Blanford said.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Military personnel is coming to Tri-State to provide free healthcare
