WISE, VA. – The Move Mountains Medical Mission (M7) event (formerly RAM Wise Expedition), held July 19-20, 2024, at UVA Wise David J. Prior Convocation Center provided a preliminary estimate of over $370,000 in free care to uninsured and underinsured individuals in the Southwest Virginia region. A total of 1,823 services were provided to 574 unique patients. Cardiology evaluations and echocardiograms were the most popular medical services followed by eye exams and lab work.
“We actually saw an uptick in the number of people served this year, which indicates that the need is prevalent as expected,” said Health Wagon CEO Teresa Tyson, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, FAANP. “We are extremely grateful to the 115 volunteers who came from all over the country and gave of their time to serve the underserved in our region,” Tyson added.
The new colon screening and walk-through, inflatable colon were popular new additions to the annual Health Wagon event. The colon screening may have already saved lives.
“Out of 120 colon screenings and 32 tests conducted, four came back positive thus far. These patients can follow up with their primary care provider or be referred into the services of the Health Wagon,” said Jen Hammons, RPh, Director of Pharmacy Services, St. Mary’s Faith Pharmacy. “We are hopeful we caught those early and this is the reason such events are so important,” she said. Hammons manned the first-ever screening tent for colon cancer and provided info on the Health Wagon’s new free and charitable pharmacy enrolling many uninsured patients who needed assistance with medication access.
The M7 clinic was conducted alongside longstanding partner, the Virginia Dental Association Foundation’s Mission of Mercy (MOM) as they completed the 25th year anniversary of providing dental care that included cleaning, fillings, extractions, and denture repair/realignments.
ETSU Audiology, another veteran partner, provided hearing tests and hearing aids. Feeding Southwest Virginia provided 351 food boxes, feeding 547 individuals. Appalachian Harvest provided an additional 200 food boxes to address significant food insecurities in the region.
Dr. Sarah T. (Melton) Thomason, PharmD, Chair and Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Gatton College of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University, brought pharmacy students who trained 134 individuals on how to recognize and respond with naloxone treatment for opioid overdose emergencies valued at nearly $10,000.
“No one has done more for health care in Southwest Virginia than the Health Wagon,” said Joe Smiddy, MD, Health Wagon Board of Trustees Board Emeritus. “And the successful M7 event that provided $370,000 worth of free health care services to more than 500 patients is yet another example of how critical outreach is to improve the overall health of our community. At these outreaches, we find hundreds of patients needing follow-up and the Health Wagon gets them in for care for months after the event.”
In the Media:
“Health Wagon, Dental Foundation to host Wise medical mission”
“Health Wagon, Dental Foundation hold 25th summer clinic”
“Converging Clinics’ Dental, health care events return to UVA Wise campus July 19-20”
“Health Wagon to host health fair in Wise County”
“Free health fair scheduled at UVA Wise”
“’25 Years’ Wise free clinics have come a long way in a quarter century”
“Wise Co. welcomes free dental clinic”
“‘The Right Direction’ Wise health, dental clinics treated more patients than last year”
