Free wellness clinic at Lehr Arena
Free wellness clinic at Lehr Arena
U. S. Military and Delta Regional Authority host month- long health clinic for area residents
news@theeveningtimes.com
The U.S. Department of Defense and Delta Regional Authority (DRA) host a month-long health and wellness clinic for residents of east Arkansas, west Tennessee, and northwest Mississippi, both groups announced today.
Through the DOD's Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program, Greyhound Medical, the first of three medical missions in the Delta region this summer, bring healthcare providers with the U.S. Military to provide basic medical, dental, and optical screenings at no cost to the community from Monday though Saturday, until June 25.
Greyhound Medical is the first month-long IRT mission that DRA and the military have held in the Delta region. The program provides unique opportunities for military personnel to train for missions at home and abroad while providing important healthcare serv- ices to communities in some of the region's most underserved areas.
“This medical mission achieves two extrely important goals of helping Delta residents receive quality health care services and education as well as providing meaningful field training for our men and women in uniform,” said Chris Masingill, federal cochairman of the DRA.
“This unique and impactful partnership has reached more than 65,000 Delta residents over seven years, and we expect to see thousands more served with this month-long mission.”
The clinics will be open to the general public from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday until June 25 at West Memphis High School's Lehr Arena. No appointments are necessary, but residents are encouraged
to arrive early to ensure an opening for services. “The purpose of the IRT program is to provide realworld
training opportunities for our service members to utilize the skillsets within their military occupational specialties while supporting the needs of America's underserved communities,” says Major Nathan DeVoe, 3rd Medical Command IRT Project Manager. “Our service members are excited to be immersed in West Memphis, helping to build stronger communities and connecting Americans to the U.S. Military while building mission-ready forces.”
Services provided will include non-emergency medical treatments and screenings, dental cleanings, fillings, and tooth extractions, eye exams and single-vision prescription glasses. In addition to receiving medical services, residents will be able to obtain information at clinic sites about local healthcare services, public health programs, resources and general healthcare information.
The mission will also host mammogram screenings on June 20.
“I am pleased the Delta Regional Authority and the U.S. Military are working together to provide valuable healthcare services at no cost to residents of the Arkansas Delta Region through Greyhound Medical,” said Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. “One of the key drivers for economic development in our rural areas is having adequate access to medical services. This partnership is helping expand healthcare in an underserved area of our state.”
“Access to quality healthcare in the Delta remains a challenge for many, but the creative partnership between the DRA and our military offers a unique response to this problem,” U.S. Congressman Rick Crawford said. “I encourage Delta residents in the region to take advantage of the offered healthcare services and education for the month it is available.”
Greyhound Medical is the first of three medical missions the DRA and military reserves are hosting this summer in the Delta region: Bluegrass Medical will hold clinics in Bardwell, Mayfield, and Paducah, Kentucky in late July, and Tricentennial Medical will hold a ten-day clinic in Natchez, Mississippi in early August. More information about the Greyhound Medical IRT mission is available on the event Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GreyhoundMedical.
The DRA is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to help create jobs, build communities, and improve lives through strategic investments in economic development in 252 counties and parishes across eight states. The Innovative Readiness Training program has held missions over eight years reaching more than 35 communities with medical, dental, and optical care for some of the region's most underserved populations.
To learn more about the Innovative Readiness Training program or the DRA, visit dra.gov/irt and irt.defense.
By the Evening Times News Staff
