On Friday, Stacey Cobine was waiting to get a tooth pulled. “I broke it on Thanksgiving dinner on mashed potatoes, of all things,” she said. Like many people in Humboldt County she’s struggled to get routine dental care.
But Friday, she arrived at the Adorni Recreation Center in Eureka at 6:30 a.m. for a free procedure, part of a pop-up clinic put on by volunteers through California CareForce.
“I used to go every six months to the dentist. I actually liked going to the dentist, to get my teeth cleaned. It felt good,” she said.
But now she’s on Medi-Cal, and said very few local dentists take the insurance. In another dental clinic, she was told she has six cavities including the tooth she’s having pulled — but was told they couldn’t do anything about it because they weren’t taking new patients. “The only dentist that you can go to here is when you need to have a tooth pulled,” she said.
Hundreds waited in line Friday, some for many hours, to get into the clinic. People chose between vision, dental or medical care, and were seen by professionals who volunteer their time to help everyone — regardless of health insurance, immigration status or income. People arrived early Friday morning and waited in line to be seen.
(Sage Alexander/The Times-Standard) Patients chose vision, dental or medical care -- the Adorni Recreation Center's kitchen was turned into a pop-up lab to make glasses. (Sage Alexander/The Times-Standard) The Adorni was transformed Friday into a pop-up clinic, where people could get their teeth cleaned, extracted or examined. "The provider, patient ratio is really low.
So those are the areas that we try to go into as much as possible," said Cyndi Ankiewicz, California CareForce executive director.(Sage Alexander/The Times-Standard) Tom Lewis, a retired dentist who raised money locally to put on the clinic, worked on people's teeth with help from another volunteer. (Sage Alexander/The Times-Standard) Patients chose vision, dental or physical careThe clinic continues Saturday.
(Sage Alexander/Times-Standard) Stacey Cobine shared pictures of her teeth from when she was younger. She's had trouble finding a local dentist that accepts Medi-Cal and came to the clinic to get a tooth extracted. (Sage Alexander/The Times-Standard) “One of the reasons why we’ve been asked for years to come to Humboldt County is because it is so rural and the need is so great.
Providers are low,” said Cyndi Ankiewicz, executive director of California CareForce, one of three employees. The organization, based in Roseville, is the charitable arm of the California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and has organized free clinics throughout the state. On Friday, the same limiting factor in the county, too, has affected the clinic.
There weren’t quite enough providers who volunteered. Ankiewicz said they were hoping to have 20 dentists and dental hygienists at the two-day clinic but are working with six each day. She estimated that 400 to 500 people will come to the clinic over the two days.
“I’m not sure if we’ll be able to see them without the providers. I’m hoping to see about 300 at least, for the whole clinic,” she said — but it depends on how fast the clinicians can work and what the need is. Three dentists Friday were set to see multiple patients at once over the chairs, and a few patient chairs set up sat empty.
Those working on Humboldt County’s teeth included Tom Lewis, a retired dentist, who was showing another volunteer how to assist him. It was thanks to Lewis the clinic came to the Adorni and he raised money to pay for the effort — a former board member of California CareForce, it became a goal of his to bring it to Humboldt County. “It’s happening.
I’m very excited, and I’m working hard,” he said, between patients. In the basketball court-turned health care facility, dentists and their assistants worked on patients, surrounded by medical equipment. After being X-rayed, people were sorted into surgeries, cleanings or inspections.
Optometrists were doing eye exams and making glasses for people on the spot. Ivette Mondragon, a student at Cal Poly Humboldt said getting glasses at the clinic definitely helps, especially when having to rely on student financial aid. People were also examined for their physical health and could get free exams for sports.
In addition to the providers, some of whom traveled from out of the area to help, an enormous amount of people pitched into the effort to get as many seen as possible. Volunteers are trying their best to hook people up with regular local providers, too, but most are not accepting new patients or have a six-month waiting list, said Ankiewcz. “Unfortunately, in this country we live in, health care is not a human right, but it is.
Health care is a human right, and it’s a beautiful thing that people volunteer to do this weekend,” said Sarah Torres, who was at the clinic to get some teeth pulled and doesn’t have health insurance. The clinic will be open from 7 a.m.
to 5 p.m. on Saturday on a first-come first-served basis, with military veterans given priority.
Arriving early, bringing lawn chairs and wearing layers is recommended. Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.
