Record Numbers at 2-Day Dental + Medical Clinic
The annual MedWish Medworks 2-Day Dental + Medical Clinic, held November 21 and 22 at the Huntington Convention Center, drew a record 1,162 patients. We saw an overwhelming need from the community this year, increasing our patient volume by 15% over last year.
Patients were lining up hours before the doors opened at 7 am, and we heard from people who were uninsured, underinsured, or unable to afford the cost of a filling or extraction. Of patients surveyed, only 57% have health insurance, compared to the U.S. average of 92%, and those who do have insurance (46%) report having significant copays.
We're grateful for the more than 700 volunteers, including 300+ dental and medical professionals who provided free care to patients from 107 zip codes, including many from Indiana. Dental services included dental screenings, cleanings, extractions, fillings, and temporary partials for adults. Children received dental screenings and sealants. Medical services included women's health exams, primary care exams, vision and hearing screenings, podiatry, HIV and glucose testing, flu shots, and mammograms.
This clinic is powered by the care and commitment of our volunteer dental and medical professionals and community volunteers. More than $1.7 million total value of services (7,761 services) was donated by our dental and medical volunteers.
From Britta Latz, our CEO:
“I sat down with a family who I learned were longtime attendees of our clinic. Three years ago the mom saw the clinic on the news and brought her son who had aged out of Medicaid at 18 and no longer had insurance. At that first clinic three years ago, the son had his 8 front teeth removed by Dr. Hess. She was worried about how he would feel after the work was done, but the son had less pain the day of the extractions than he did prior. He also had a temporary partial made that day. With the partial, he was finally willing to smile again, which before was a struggle. Last year when they came back to the clinic, Dr. Taylor in the partial area gave him a "tune up". He still uses them and said he always makes sure to have them on for family photos etc. The family now makes a tradition of coming. The woman's mom even drove several hours this year to stay with her and attend the clinic with them. “
We are fortunate and grateful to have many generous donors, sponsors, partners, and in-kind contributors whose support was essential in making this free clinic possible and allowing us to connect our community to care!
A full schedule of 2026 clinics will be announced HERE by mid-January. If you would like to sponsor a patient, visit our giving page.
