Photo By Maj. Nathan DeVoe | Sgt. Michael Dyer, a nutrition care specialist with Company B, 48th Combat Support...... read more read more
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NORWICH, N.Y. – Under normal circumstances, the fire stations in the villages of Sherburne, Greene and Bainbridge would be on the receiving end of calls from the community. This week, it was the fire stations calling residents to invite them to an event unprecedented in Chenango County history.
The event involved new tenants temporarily moving into the Sherburne, Greene and Bainbridge fire stations on July 19-20, 2015. Members of the community were greeted inside and around the stations by the smiling faces and open arms of Army and Navy reservists, eager to provide medical services at no cost to the community.
The Greater Chenango Cares Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) mission began on July 13, 2015, at Norwich High School, and Army and Navy service members had provided medical, dental, ophthalmic and veterinary services at no cost to the community, valued at nearly $1.4 million to 2,461 residents and pets of Chenango County. The dollar value of services and the number of procedures performed were impressive, but the service members knew they could do more to serve the community.
Recognizing that many residents of Chenango County were potentially without reliable transportation and unable to travel to Norwich High School to take advantage of the services being offered, the service members decided to bring their services into the community. Local residents received automated phone calls and flyers inviting them to visit the mobile clinics to receive general medical services and information.
Three mobile clinic teams were created, and “Operation Mobile Outreach” began. Understanding that Chenango County is a medically underserved community, the teams aimed to address the residents' known medical history, identify any issues that may be of concern, and ultimately put them in touch with local organizations to provide follow-on care if necessary.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to take my team out,” expressed Staff Sgt. Nickolis Martsolf, a physical therapist with Company A, 48th Combat Support Hospital out of Fort Story, Virginia. “I know it can be difficult to make time for yourself to get the medical treatment that you need, so being able to come to you and make it a quick and convenient one-stop was very valuable for us.”
Twenty-four residents were seen in two days with some traveling to Norwich High School after being seen at the mobile clinic to receive more extensive care.
Shelly Bartow, a Greater Chenango Cares volunteer and resident of Bainbridge village, recognizes the importance of events such as this and wished for a larger turnout.
“I wish we could have done this more and had more time to promote it, because I suspect that more people would have taken advantage of it,” Bartow said of the mobile clinics.
Bartow is the director of Liberty Partnerships Program, a dropout prevention program, and views the Greater Chenango Cares IRT as an opportunity to connect residents with local organizations and services that are available to support the community.
“I think this specific event will spur the conversation around those health-related organizations, and how the other organizations like mine can better work together to share what those agencies are doing so that our families can take advantage of those services. We do a good job, but we need to do more,” continued Bartow.
The providers recognized that their presence and services were not a permanent solution to Chenango County’s underserved community, so their goal was to make the residents aware of the available options to establish lasting relationships with local medical and dental providers.
As the service members packed up the mobile clinics and departed the fire stations, they were disappointed that they could not provide services to all of Chenango County, but were grateful to be of service to many.
“If I’m able to teach a patient just one thing that can change their life,” says Lt. Junior Grade Jenny Layug, a nurse with Detachment Y, Emergency Medical Facility (EMF) Bethesda out of Largo, Maryland, “that makes a big difference.”
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.23.2015 12:13 |
| Story ID: | 170877 |
| Location: | NORWICH, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 249 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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