Lyon County, Nevada -The Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey is hosting a meeting to discuss a multiple agency, one or two day “triage” style free health services event in Lyon County. The discussion will be part of the Coalition’s June public meeting held on Thursday, June 9 at 9am at the Silver Springs Community Center. This will be the first in a series of planning workshops with the goal of multiple agencies and volunteers working together to deliver free primary care, dental care, and other medical services to those who have no insurance or are under-insured. Coalition Director Christy McGill explained that “this type of large scale event could also possibly double as a practice event for disaster preparedness in Nevada.”
Multi-Agency Effort: To date, the following have expressed interest: CDC Program Management and Emergency Response Coordinator Daniel Mackie, Carson City Health and Human Services, multiple Lyon County Departments, Lyon County School District, Tobacco User's Helpline, US Public Affairs and Policy Alliance Development Manager Jeff Scheneman, WestCare, High Sierra Area Health Education Center and Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare. The Coalition is also welcoming business sponsorships to defray some of the costs. Rick Joseph and Company is among businesses that have expressed interest in possible sponsorship (www.rjcompany.com ) The Coalition is also welcoming regional churches to join in the effort and use the event as one of their annual medical missions.
The idea for the large scale event was the brainchild of Healthy Communities’ Freida Carbery, who is also the director of the Dayton Food Pantry and the Nevada Prevention Fellow. When she saw a similar event in California earlier this year, she wondered if it could be done in rural Nevada too.
The Dream: Carbery and McGill say they’re dreaming of a large scale event capable of serving thousands in one or two days. Their vision is of an event where health care providers can offer free Dental, Vision, and Medical services intended for the uninsured, underinsured, and unemployed, with the aid of medical professional volunteers, as well as general volunteers.
A list of some of the services they hope can be provided are:
DENTAL: Cleaning, Fillings, and Extractions
VISION: Complete Eye Exams. Prescription Glasses Made on Site (as time & supplies permit)
MEDICAL: Physicals, Diabetes Screening, Cancer Screening, Immunizations
WOMEN’S HEALTH: PAP Smears, Breast Exams
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH: risk reduction kits, testing, education
TOBACCO CESSATION: introduction to cessation services such as Tobacco User’s Helpline
ATOD TREATMENT AND RECOVERY REFERRALS: on site screening and intake to regional residential treatment and/or referrrals to outpatient treatment and mutual support groups for alcohol, tobacco, prescription and other drug abuse
MENTAL HEALTH: screenings and referrals
TESTING: cholesterol, high blood pressure, hepatitis, HIV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea testing
CONSULTATIONS AND REFERRALS: with an “ask a nurse” or “ask a doctor” station
VETERANS SERVICES: referrals to benefits and services for both primary and mental health care, including PTSD, TBI, and all combat related trauma
Volunteers Needed: People are invited to volunteer for a day, or multiple days, and MDs, RNs, EMTs, DDS/DMDs, OMSs, RDHs, DAs, Ophths, ODs, Opticians, Op Techs, and general volunteers are needed. Organizers are alo looking for organizations to donate food and supplies.
McGill said that if time doesn’t permit you to volunteer, please consider making a tax deductible financial contribution.
Contact: To volunteer, please contact Christy McGill, director of Healthy Communities Coalition, at 351-8242