NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – A free health clinic targeting the underserved and uninsured population was held on the Peninsula over the weekend.
From routine check-ups, to dental treatments like extractions and cleanings, to vision exams — these are just some of the services offered Saturday and Sunday at the Peninsula Spanish Seventh Day Adventist Church. Over the course of the two days, 231 patients received medical services for free, totaling nearly $170,000 in quality care.
Ryan Turnewitsch, a Seventh Day Adventist doctor from Virginia Beach, is a member of the executive planning committee for the health clinic. He’s among several doctors and dentists who volunteer their time to see patients, many of whom don’t have insurance.
“Often times these individuals have some of the greatest healthcare needs,” Turnewitsch said, “So we want to start the process of identifying some of the healthcare problems to start helping them get care, then after our clinic, connect them with other organizations locally where they can continue to address some of their healthcare needs.”
This year, the Tidewater Adventist Community is working with Remote Area Medical, or RAM, to put on the health fair. Residents from the Southside and Peninsula were able to sign up for dental procedures, hygiene booths, women’s health exams and general health consultations.
Over 40 people were able to walk away with a new pair of glasses, after an eye exam.
This marks the first healthfair from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The need is here, if you ask me the need has multiplied,” explained Dr. Elias Llerandi, Tidewater Adventist Community volunteer.
Tidewater Adventist Community, a consortium of eight local Seventh Day Adventist churches throughout Hampton Roads. The network of churches are committed to assisting families live healthier. Speech translators were on-site to help remove healthcare access barriers.
“Many of them have a delicate immigration status and we want to cater to those folks,” Llerandi said. “We feel blessed to have the opportunity to take on this task!”
Sentara Healthcare representatives were also on-site to do blood draws to test blood sugar levels.
Patients registered at the front and choose which medical services they’d like to get done.
“No ID is required, you don’t even have to give us your real name,” said RAM Clinic Coordinator Brad Sands. “You could tell us your name is Mickey Mouse, we’ll still see you and provide the absolute best quality healthcare we can.”
Sands said they work to help as many people as they can, but the clinic is first-come, first-served. Some patients were in line before the doors opened at 6 a.m. “We always encourage patients to come out early, get a ticket, come prepared to stay, bring some snacks, blankets, pillows, whatever you need to be comfortable,” Sands said.
Sands said sometimes people are afraid to go to the doctor or dentist, especially if they haven’t been in awhile, but it’s fulfilling to be able to see the smiles on people’s faces after they get help.
“Being able to bring these services to people that maybe, they haven’t been in three or five years to the dentist,” Sands said, “or maybe they broke their glasses two years ago and haven’t been able to go see the doctor, or maybe there’s not a doctor around them that they can see, it’s really nice to get to bring that to them.”
Turnewitsch said there’s various reasons people may put off getting medical care.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to get in to see providers, sometimes people don’t know the best place to go for care, sometimes people can’t afford care, sometimes people want to think that the problem will resolve on its own,” Turnewitsch said. “We want to do a small part here at the clinic to be able to break down some of those barriers so that people can start addressing some of these things they may have been struggling with.”
He said it’s important to address the problems now so complications don’t arise later.
“Healthcare problems are not often going to resolve on their own, and if left unaddressed will develop into more complications and injury to a person,” Turnewitsch said.
But it’s a powerful experience to be able to help someone.
“The days are long, but its incredible to see literally hundreds of people in one space from all kind of backgrounds, ethnicities, all kinds of need levels come in and get care,” Turnewitsch said. “The genuine gratitude to receive a medical service that they’ve been struggling for a long time, it’s an amazing thing.”