Operation Healthy Delta made an indelible impact by providing essential health care services valued at $1.5 million to a total of 2,224 patients, according to Sarah Hecht, assistant officer in charge.
The no-cost health clinic took place over the course of a 10-day period on the campus of Three Rivers College. It was part of a collaborative effort between members of the Armed Forces and local agencies.
Extractions were the most common procedure sought and provided by the dental team during the mission, according to Maj. Justin Cannel, officer in charge. These missions intentionally target underserved areas where access to health care and dental services are limited.
“I think it’s just a combination of poor access to health care, poor access to dental, they’re underinsured — dental, vision, those are two things where if you don’t have health insurance, it’s hard to get seen,” said Cannel.
Due to the large number of dental procedures, one service member explained they were nearly out of a few needed supplies.
“We were able to get some assistance from one of our other sites that had a little bit of excess stuff, so they had some guys send over some more equipment so we could finish out the day strong and get as much as we could get taken care of today,” Airman 1st Class Cole Garner, biomedical equipment technician, said Tuesday morning.
“We’re at the end of our mission here, so to be running out of equipment in essence is a good thing because it means we have been able to help a lot of people,” said Garner.
And help a lot of people it did, with 13,945 procedures performed and approximately 500 pairs of glasses provided to those in need in the area.
According to Cannel, service members saw approximately 100 patients per day during the clinic from various distances, including Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. Through combined efforts, 286 dedicated service members were able to log 25,500 needed Innovative Readiness Training hours during the health clinic.
The IRT initiative, which is exclusive to the U.S., offers joint training opportunities for military personnel while addressing community needs.
According to Ann Terrell Smith, executive director of the South Central Missouri Community Action Agency, the next opportunity for an IRT health care event to take place in this area will be in 2025.
Agencies involved in Operation Healthy Delta include the U.S. Department of Defense and the Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation. Alongside the SCMCAA and the Shawnee Development Council, DAEOC hosted the health clinics in Poplar Bluff, Sikeston and Anna-Jonesboro, Illinois.