Photo By Senior Airman Amber Anderson | Staff Sgt. Blessed Velasquez (left), and Senior Airman Samantha Heaton (right), both...... read more read more
Subscribe
No-cost healthcare has come to Terre Haute.
An Innovative Readiness Training mission called IRT Hoosier Care provides vision exams, single-vision eyeglasses, dental exams and extractions, and basic medical exams – including youth sports physicals – at no cost to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
IRT Hoosier Care opened to the public June 7 and will continue through June 14.
Additional clinic hours are scheduled for:
June 8-10: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
June 11: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., and
June 12-14: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Parents or guardians requesting youth sports physicals must provide their child’s sports physical form(s) at the time of examination.
Service members came from across the globe to provide care and set up the clinic.
According to Air Force Capt. Rebecca Adams, a logistics readiness officer with the 181st Logistics Readiness Squadron and medical logistics officer-in-charge for IRT Hoosier Care, service members transformed the Terre Haute Boys and Girls Club into an IRT mission site from over a dozen consolidated asset management system, or CAMS, shipping containers of non-consumable goods, several pallets of consumable goods, and donated office materials and furniture from community partners. Service members completed the transformation in a day and half.
With the clinic set up, service members are now armed with the medical equipment to serve the community.
“IRT brings a phenomenal opportunity for people who don't have vision and dental insurance, to get those needs met, as well as connect with medical providers for screenings, well child visits, and a follow-on link to the local health centers in the area.” said Air Force Lt. Col. Nicole Stilianos, a member of the 181st Medical Group and medical lead officer-in-charge for IRT Hoosier Care.
The IRT mission also includes community and other partners to best serve the community.
Stilianos said the community is in a rural, underserved area and the city itself has a low immunization rate. Consequently, the Indiana Department of Health and the Indiana Immunization Coalition were invited to participate in the mission. The clinic will provide needed resources to continue improving the overall health and well-being of local Hoosiers.
Indeed, those resources are impactful to the underserved communities.
“I grew up wishing that my mom didn't have to worry about money to take me to the dentist to get my teeth checked or to go to the doctor to get a checkup,” said Air Force Airman Victoriana Sweet, a dental technician for the 181st MDG. “This is so exciting because I know a lot of parents are struggling to find the money to help their kids out. This is a way that we can help them.”
The provision of those no-cost services fulfills a military need as well.
Specifically, the IRT mission provides the military with hands-on training to enhance military readiness, and it comprises a partnership of Air National Guard units, Active Duty Air Force, Army units and local organizations.
The value of that training is recognized by military leadership.
“This is an amazing mission for the military to do training for instances like a natural disaster,” said Stilianos. “We are trained to come on site and do immediate medical attention, but an IRT prepares us to be on site longer to meet the preventative and acute needs of the community.”
Junior service members also recognized the training value.
“As it states in the name, readiness is a big focus in the military,” said Air Force Senior Airman Kimberly Goodson, a diet therapy technician with the 673rd Medical Group. “The IRT mission has given me the opportunity to train in the real world and the chance to perform my duties and also provide the community with medical services at no cost.”
Led by Terre Haute’s own 181st Intelligence Wing, IRT Hoosier Care is a Department of Defense IRT partnership that provides no-cost services to the community and real-world training to service members.
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2023 19:28 |
| Story ID: | 446457 |
| Location: | TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | BRAZIL, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | CLINTON, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | COVINGTON, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | SULLIVAN, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 433 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, IRT Hoosier Care begins no-cost medical services June 7 in Terre Haute, by SrA Amber Anderson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
