“Miracle”---A remarkable or marvelous phenomenon or
event. (Shorter Oxford English
Dictionary, Volume I, page 1793).
I witnessed
a miracle last weekend. The Cantey Building
located on the South Carolina Fairgrounds was transformed from a vacant, empty
shell of a building into a vibrant, buzzing bee-hive of activity. An army of volunteers descended on the
building armed with poles and lines and canvas drapes; the once empty building
was cordoned into waiting areas, service areas, an eye care center, a pharmacy,
computer set-ups for patient intake and discharge, cubicles for privacy during
examinations, or just storage of the vast amount of supplies necessary for the Mission. Electrical cords were provided along with
multiple outlets for all of the technology to be powered--- X-ray equipment, EKG
machines, ultrasounds, microscopes, and the other paraphernalia so often taken
for granted in physicians’ offices, EDs, or urgent care rooms. Each “cubbie” was outfitted with supplies
that more than met the needs of the health care providers. All donated or purchased with donated funds
from the collaborating institutions. Lexington
Medical Center,
Palmetto Health (both Richland
and Baptist), and Providence Health were all represented by volunteers from
executive VPs to the true worker-bees.
When the
doors opened on Friday morning, the tide of patiently waiting folks was greeted
by enthusiastic volunteers who escorted them from area to area where they
obtained the services most of us take for granted. An eye exam and being fitted with glasses --or-- a
visit with one of the many physicians, advanced practice nurses, or physician
assistants who had given of their time and talent to the service of some of the
underserved, uninsured people who came from at least half of the counties in
South Carolina. Medical students from
USC School of Medicine volunteered, came and shadowed the practitioners, gaining a valuable
lesson in empathic communication techniques demonstrated by these seasoned
professionals. Emergency dental providers
were on site for bona fide dental problems. Gynecologic services were
available, including cervical cancer screening with an old fashioned Pap smear
(graciously provided by the Lexington Pathology Associates), referral for
mammography, and even screening for HIV.
When the
dust settled and the final patient was escorted from the building on Saturday
afternoon, a total of approximately 1,300 people had received some or all of the
services offered. This could not have
been possible without the efforts of so many volunteers from all over the Midlands; from event planning meetings, setting up and
stocking, implementation and provision of services, examining, prescribing,
counseling, and then tear down and clean up, each component part a miracle in
itself. This weekend represents just a
micro-example of what can be accomplished when like-minded people pull together
for the common good. I look
forward to witnessing yet another miracle at next year's event.
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