Ascension Saint Thomas in Nashville provided 485 Middle Tennesseans free medical, dental and vision care at its recent Medical Mission at Home. The event began at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, and some participants waited outside the auditorium doors as early as 4 p.m. Friday. No one was turned away.
Free pharmacy services, dental services, mammograms, vision services, foot and wound care, lab and imaging services, and spiritual care were provided. A total of 353 lab tests were completed, 313 pairs of eyewear were dispensed, 269 prescriptions were filled, 228 flu vaccines were provided, and 152 teeth were extracted. Attendees left the event with free bags of fresh fruit and toiletries. Souls4Soles donated 300 pairs of shoes to those in need. Baby monitors were gifted to expectant mothers thanks to a donation from Panasonic Corporation of North America.
The 650 event volunteers included 300 members of the Ascension Saint Thomas community. Physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, chaplains, senior leaders and hospital staff were among those who shared their time and skills. Bilingual and multilingual Davidson County high school and college students were among the diverse group of volunteer translators who guided non-English-speaking attendees through the event.
“Medical Mission at Home events are a unique opportunity for us to work alongside other Middle Tennessee organizations that share our driving motivation – to show compassionate care to those in need,” said Nancy Anness, Chief Advocacy Officer, Ascension Saint Thomas.
Developed through an Ascension leadership formation program as a ministry to the uninsured and underinsured, Ascension Saint Thomas Medical Missions at Home have served more than 25,000 Tennesseans since 2008.
The 2019 Nashville Medical Mission at Home was a joint effort of Ascension Saint Thomas and Catholic Charities of Tennessee, CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga, Coca-Cola, Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee, Family and Children’s Services, Hope Smiles, Interfaith Dental, Lipscomb University, Marion University Nursing, Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center, Mental Health Co-Op, Metro Public Health Department, Nashville CARES, Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority, Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville Prevention Partnership, Nashville Public Library, One Generation Away, Open Table Nashville, Premier Radiology, Premier Parking, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN, Social Security Administration, Soles 4 Souls, Tennessee Justice Center, Tennessee Kidney Foundation, Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance Program, The Diocese of Nashville, The New Beginnings Center, TouchPoint, Turner Construction, University of Tennessee School of Pharmacy, 94.1 FM The Fish, and 100.5 WBOU Nashville Catholic Radio.
