Free medical, dental and vision care: A pop-up clinic is coming to Philly, and it needs volunteers

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A traveling medical corps is bringing free medical, dental and vision care to Philadelphia this summer to serve people who may lack health insurance or access to other low-cost care.

Remote Area Medical will host a two-day pop-up clinic on Aug. 24 and 25 at Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School in North Philadelphia.

Some of the free health care services offered will include primary care, women’s health, blood work, dental cleanings and simple extractions, vision exams and new glasses. However, the range of services will depend on the local providers who can volunteer their time and skills to see patients.

“We want to be a safety net for those that do fall through the cracks,” said Brad Hutchins, clinical coordinator. “We’re not going to serve everybody in Philadelphia within a day and a half, but with people volunteering, this is neighbors helping neighbors.”

The pop-up clinics are open to adults and children on a first-come, first-serve basis. Organizers say they’re looking for local health providers who have active licenses and are trained to practice in all different areas of care to staff the upcoming clinic.

Volunteer providers can be primary and specialty physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, phlebotomists, dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, oral surgeons, optometrists, ophthalmologists, opticians and others.

Hutchins said these clinics also need volunteers who can interpret and translate health information between providers and patients who speak other languages.

“Even if we have providers there to serve, if we can’t communicate effectively, that’s just another barrier that we look to face,” he said. “That is a big challenge in a lot of communities that we go to.”

Organizers say they will be looking for professional volunteers until two weeks before the pop-up event.

The clinic will open at 6 a.m. on Sat., Aug. 24. Patients will be seen until slots fill up. People do not need proof of identification, residency or health insurance status in order to get care.

Philly-area providers interested in volunteering to staff the upcoming clinic can sign up at Remote Area Medical.