Photo By Maj. A. Sean Taylor | Eric Jackson, age 21 and a Chicago native, hugs Lt. Col. Heather Behnert, a dentist...... read more read more
MARION, Ill.—Eric Jackson seemed nervous when he entered the dental clinic, set up in the Marion Middle School, for the Innovative Readiness Training exercise Southern Care 2014 (IRT SC14).
Jackson, a 21 year-old college student from Chicago and Army ROTC cadet, was doing something for the first time in his life; going to the dentist.
“I never had any problems with my teeth growing up,” Jackson said. “Now, I am always in school or working and just don’t have time.”
Jackson, along with thousands of local residents, took advantage of IRT SC14, a civil-military program designed to improve military readiness while providing quality medical/dental services at no cost to medically underserved residents of 16 counties in Southern Illinois.
IRT SC14 is a partnership between the Department of Defense and the Delta Regional Authority that allows military medical personnel to get hands-on training while providing medical, dental and optometry services at three locations in Marion, Cairo and Harrisburg from June 16-27, 2014.
“It’s great, it’s great, “Bill Hughes, a Carrier Mills resident said. “Dental insurance is too expensive.”
“I don’t have dental insurance because I just work part-time,” Bryce Evans, a local college instructor who was getting a check-up for the first time in seven years, said. “I like to think that my teeth are a priority and that I will go, but my car breaks down every time I have extra money. “
“The car comes before my teeth,” Evans continued. “I have to drive to work.”
“Even if you have insurance, it does not cover everything,” expressed Celecia Green, a Cairo resident. “To get a tooth pulled, it will still cost you $75. This has been so helpful.”
Tooth extractions were the most sought after procedure during the first week of operations with a total of over 650 extractions at all three sites.
“They can’t afford it,” said Maj. Joseph Seiler, a dentist with the 810th Medical Company, 49th Mulitfunctional Medical Battalion based in Cary, N.C.
Seiler described a patient that had 20 teeth removed over a two day period, with her goal to get dentures. “At $100 per tooth, it would have taken her years to reach her goal.”
Residents have waited in long lines at the three clinics, but have been extremely grateful for the services. “We have been giving exceptional service and there hasn’t been anyone upset,” said Seiler.
“My Soldiers have been very appreciative of the hugs and the letters they have received from the community,” Lt. Col Heather Behnert, a dentist and the Commander of the 810th Med. Co. said. “This is the best way to train.”
Usually in military training exercises, like a Warrior Exercise or a Combat Support Training Exercise, Soldiers do not get the opportunity for real life, hands-on training. They train on mannequins or fellow Soldiers.
“A CSTX can’t prepare you for what we have seen this week,” Behnert said. “This is the best training to prepare Soldiers to be ready to what they will see on a deployment.”
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2014 23:58 |
| Story ID: | 134814 |
| Location: | MARION, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 213 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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