Over and over, we've heard and we've even said repeatedly to readers, "If it sounds too good to be, it is." Well, in this case it sounds extraordinary, and it really is.
For a nine-day period beginning on July 14 and continuing through July 23 -- with the exception of Sunday, July 19 -- members of the National Guard's U.S. Army and U.S. Naval services will be in Dexter to offer free healthcare services.
There is no church affiliation with this service, but the servicemen and women will be utilizing space at the Lighthouse Christian Center. (The public is are asked to refrain from calling the Lighthouse Church as they are only providing space for the event).
The event is termed as "Innovative Readiness Training" in three areas -- medical, dental and vision.
The services will be provided on a first come, first served basis, with no appointments being taken. No insurance or income information will be required.
Medical services will include screenings and evaluations, non-emergency medical treatments and basic prescriptions.
It was emphasized that no lab work will be performed. There will be no immunizations or OBGYN examinations.
Dental services will include cleanings, basic fillings and tooth extractions. No crowns or restorative work will be done.
Vision services will include vision screenings, prescriptions and one free pair of prescription glasses. No bifocals or trifocals will be prescribed.
All services will be provided to individuals from age two and up, with no exceptions. Services will begin at 8 a.m. and proceed until 5 p.m. each of the nine days in service.
This operation is in no way related to the monthly Smiles of Hope program which also takes place at the Lighthouse Christian Center. Church personnel stress that individuals who have appointments with Smiles of Hope should keep those appointments, since the two events are unrelated.
The Innovation Readiness Training program originated under former President Bill Clinton. It is a military training exercise for health professionals to be deployed overseas. Training had formerly been held outside the U.S., but the Clinton administration believed there were under-developed areas in the U.S. that could benefit from this training.
A similar event took place in Hayti in August 2013.