Tropic Care Maui: Free Health Clinic Q & A

(Lānaʻi City, May 29) Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard met with Air Force Reserves Colonel Jerry Arends, Joelle Aoki, Executive Director of the Coalition for Drug Free Lānaʻi (right), and John Ornellas, Chair of the Lānaʻi Planning Commission (left) to discuss the upcoming Tropic Care Lānaʻi. Photo courtesy Office of US Congresswoman Tusli Gabbard.

By Maui Now Staff

Tropic Care Maui is a series of free health clinics offered to individuals in Maui County at various locations from June 4 to 12, 2013.

A list of exact times and locations is available at the following link on our site.

County officials say the event provides services to residents, while also serving as rapid response training for some 400 military personnel.

A similar event held on Kauaʻi last year reportedly helped an estimated 12,000 residents and delivered an estimated $1 million in free health services, according to military information released by the County of Maui.

In preparation for the upcoming event, organizers have released a list of frequently-asked questions that may assist participants seeking service from the clinics.

Below is a list of questions and answers related to the event provided by the County of Maui that participants may find helpful:

• Can I make an appointment to receive care at Tropic Care Maui County?  No. Tropic Care clinics will not accept advance appointments; participants will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Do I need to bring ID to receive care? No. Identification will not be required, and no fees will be charged. Non-citizens, individuals with no local address and those with no health insurance are welcome to attend.
• Will Tropic Care give me free health insurance?  No, it will not provide insurance. However, Tropic Care Maui County will offer free health care services by military personnel participating in a rapid deployment exercise.
• What if I need a doctor’s note signed or a form saying that my child had a physical exam? Will those forms be available there? No. You are responsible for bringing any forms and records that you need signed by medical personnel. The members of the US military that are providing these free clinics do not have these forms on hand; however, they have said that they will sign any appropriate forms that people have with them that pertain to the services received. These include the Students Health Record-Form 14, the Sports/Athletic Physical Examination Form, College Entry Physical Examination Form, dental health certificates and the Physical Examination form for children and special needs adults entering foster care homes.
• What kind of dental care will be provided during Tropic Care?  The dental care services provided will primarily include dental screenings with limited filling of dental cavities not requiring sedation, extractions, and limited cleaning of teeth depending on available time.
• What kinds of things will be covered during a basic health screening?  A health screening usually includes height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration.
• What kinds of services will NOT be provided?  Vaccinations; dental work requiring sedation; dental caps, dentures, root canals, fluoride application, sealant or braces work; waist measurements.
• Will any medications be given out through Tropic Care?  Only over-the-counter medications may be administered, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Tylenol). No prescriptions will be written and prescription medication will not be provided.
• Will Tropic Care take place again next year?  No, Tropic Care Maui County is a one-time event.
• What happens if a person needs more care after the Tropic Care visit?  If further care is needed, Tropic Care participants will be referred to their established medical, optometry or dental health provider. If the individual does not have an established relationship with a provider, a community resource list of affordable services will be provided.
• Can I volunteer to help with Tropic Care Maui County?  Yes. To sign up, email [email protected]. Volunteers will be utilized to help keep things flowing smoothly as participants line up and wait to receive care, including helping answer questions, keep people calm, and assist with the safe flow of people into and out of the clinics. Volunteers should be flexible, and willing to serve in various capacities as needed.
• How old do I need to be to volunteer with Tropic Care Maui County, and how long will the volunteer shifts be? Is there a need for bilingual volunteers?  All volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. Each shift will be 4 hours long, and volunteers need to show up 30 minutes prior to the start of their shift to receive briefing / instruction. Yes, bilingual volunteers are especially needed to help provide information to non-English speaking participants.

More information is available by visiting the county website or by calling the mayor’s office at (808) 270-7855.