No-Cost Maui County Tropic Care Clinics Across Maui County

Photo from Lanai Tropic Care event – Fil photo County of Maui/Ryan Piros.

Maui County residents who are interested in no-cost medical, dental or vision healthcare services will have a chance to get checked out by professionals at the 2018 Tropic Care event being held next month on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi.

Tropic Care health services are offered by the US military’s Innovative Readiness Training program as part of a joint-service training mission funded by the Department of Defense.

More than 350 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines will arrive in Maui County and provide clinics from August 11-19 at six locations on all three islands.

No proof of income, residency or picture ID is required.

The clinics will open up at 8 a.m daily and stay open until 4 p.m. except for the last day on August 19 (times on that day are posted below), when the clinics need to close down early. Hours and services are subject to change based upon equipment and resources.

• Mitchell Pauʻole Center on Molokaʻi (open 8 to 11:30 a.m. on August 19)
• County Gymnasium on Lānaʻi (open from 8 to 11:30 a.m. on August 19)
• Old School Cafeteria in Hāna (open from 8 to 11:30 a.m. on August 19)
• St. Theresa Church in South Maui (open from noon to 4 p.m. on August 19)
• Waiola Church in West Maui (open from noon to 4 p.m. on August 19)
• University of Hawaiʻi Maui College in Central Maui (open 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on August 19)

A list of other clinic locations and hours is posted online.

Funded by the Department of Defense, Tropic Care 2018 is a joint-service training mission offered free-of-charge by the US military as Innovative Readiness Training and includes medical, dental and vision checkups, screenings and exams to all residents of Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi.

The multiple services available include physical exams, sport physicals for kids with school form and blood pressure / screening; dental exams, extractions and fillings; and vision screenings, prescriptions and single lens eyeglasses.

One service per person is offered daily on a first come-first serve basis. Patients will not be able to reserve appointments. It is recommended that residents arrive as soon as possible during clinic hours to secure a same-day service time.

Maui Tropic Care 2018 is part of a Department of Defense initiative, providing opportunities to military medical, engineering and support personnel to receive training while making a difference in local community throughout the United States.

“Maui Tropic Care is a very exciting mission for us,” said Lt. Col. James Jones of the Alabama Air National Guard’s 187th Medical Group and officer in charge of Maui Tropic Care 2018. “It is an opportunity where members of the Air National Guard, Air Force, Army, Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve can train together in a real world setting while at the same time helping the local communities. The training will help to prepare us for future deployments.”

“I encourage anyone who needs to get some basic medical, dental or vision services to come out and get some help while Tropic Care is here,” said Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa. “Tropic Care was here in 2013 and we had a lot of people stand in line for the DOD’s health care services all over Maui, as well as Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi.  We are grateful they are back again because we still have people out there who can use their assistance.”

“I am thankful to the men and women of our military who come to service the most vulnerable members of our community: the elderly, homeless and uninsured. This is a life-altering community engagement that has been a benefit to the people of Maui County,” Jen Mather, Waiola Church.

The County of Maui as well as the State Department of Health, Maui Economic Opportunity, the Maui United Way, Coalition for a Drug Free Lānaʻi and Pulama Lānaʻi are assisting the DOD with promoting the event, finding volunteers for clinic operations as well as providing materials, equipment, manpower and other support services.

The following local sponsors should also be recognized for providing funding to help support this event including, Maui Health System, HMSA, Nā Hoaloha ‘Ekolu, Maui Electric, Goodfellow Bros. Inc. and the Maui Quarantine Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation.