An NPR member station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Volunteer Doctors Ready to Serve Thousands at Free Spokane Event

Three thousand or more people will get access to medical, dental, or eye care next week at no cost. An organization called Your Best Pathway to Health is bringing a mega-clinic to the fairgrounds Monday and Tuesday.

Pathway to Health President Lela Lewis says this is only the fourth mega-clinic they have done nationwide. The organization works in partnership with the Seventh Day Adventist church, but Lewis says many other groups and individuals donate, and it’s a volunteer run organization.

Speaking of volunteers, 1,600 of them are making the Spokane event possible.

Lewis: “Volunteer doctors, dentists, surgeons, every specialist you can imagine… we have gastroenterologists, infectious disease specialists, oral surgeons, plastic surgeons… we have an x-ray, as well as ultra sound, our women’s health providers (our gynecologists) are actually doing cancer and pre-cancer treatment.”

She says attendees will be reviewed and the workers will determine what service they need most: medical, dental, or eye care. Pathway to Health also provides clothing and meals.

Lewis has advice to possible patients in Spokane: arrive early. She says they served six-thousand people over three days in San Antonio and some people camped in line overnight.

The only service people need to schedule ahead of time is cataract surgery, by calling 1-888-44-Pathway.

Copyright 2015 Spokane Public Radio

Related Content