On May 2-3 2014, the Missouri Dental Association (MDA) Foundation hosted its annual “Missouri Mission of Mercy” event at Chaifetz Arena, in the heart of St. Louis University’s campus downtown. One thousand eighteen dedicated volunteers from various associations and cities in Missouri participated in this two day event that provided free dental services for any Missouri resident that was unable to partake in or afford dental care. The services provided ranged anywhere from routine dental cleanings and checkups to more extensive services such as: fillings, specified tooth extraction, crown implementation, and many more, that required the volunteer services of many skilled lab technicians and dental hygienists to ensure that the best level of care was being given to attendees.
The positive response from the
community was overwhelming, expressed best by a woman who stated, “I have been
in line since five forty this morning and got to the door at seven thirty. It
was a long wait, but well worth it.”
MOMOM’s success is not only owed to the
Missouri Dental Association, but also to another independent foundation providing clinic equipment and logistics for the states to use called America’s Dentists Care Foundation. This organization oversees these
events and allows each state full control on how charitable services are provided
to those unable to pay. For these reasons, Missouri’s MOMOM event was a true
display of genuine dedication to the cause of dental care state wide.
Foundation and Outreach Director of the Missouri Dental Association Paul
Roberts, is one of the primary organizers of MOMOM, and a large reason for the
event’s ground breaking success. Mr. Roberts, whose passion for the MOMOM
events is shown on his blog “A Mouthful”, stated that, “Numbers are impressive
but behind each one is a person that was helped. Thanks!” This statement shows
the characteristics of an event whose aim is the patient, rather than the
organization’s overall success, and highlights the spirit of genuine human
affection felt at the event. This attitude contributed greatly to the passion
the volunteers felt while working, which translated directly to their patients.
The nature of the event can be
observed with a few statistics that demonstrate MOMOM’s “people first” approach
towards providing health care. Over a period of two days, the event assisted
1,616 patients with varying dental problems, and provided $914,995.80 in free
health care to treat these individuals. These services were provided by: 208
dentists, 103 dental hygienists, 151 dental assistants or students, 102 dental
or hygiene students, one physician, 34 dental service technicians, 12 nurses, and eight interpreters, all of which said they would gladly participate again. The
success of the event is not only measured by the number of patients or money
raised, but also the extensive coverage it received in the media statewide.
This was accomplished due to the 1,446,248 individuals who popularized the
event through print, broadcast, and virtual advertisements. This coverage
proves the old adage that if you treat people how you want to be treated, and the
results you receive will be both positive and fruitful.
As part
of the statistics of who helped with what, one of the most seemingly out of
place figures would be the eight interpreters present at the event. Of these eight
interpreters, four of them were from our organization LAMP, who specializes in
medical interpretation services, and volunteered all day on the second day of
the event. These four dedicated interpreters began at the check in booth,
ensuring that those speaking Spanish, Vietnamese, and Nepali, were able to find
their respective ways throughout the crowded arena and to their treatment area
in an orderly fashion. From there, each interpreter would accompany individual
patients and interpret the processes of taking vitals, receiving an oral exam
to determine necessary care, and what the doctor’s work would completely
entail, all in their mother language. The interpreter would then remain with
the patient and doctor until the process was complete to ensuring a healthy and
comfortable recovery for the patient. These services were provided by LAMP to
ensure that the language barrier between English speaking medical providers and
non-English speaking patients was not an obstacle in healthcare being provided
to those that needed it most. 
We invite any bilingual individuals in the Columbia area to volunteer
for the 2015 MOMOM Event!
For more information, visit the Missouri Dental Association’s website at: www.momom.org and follow them on Facebook and Twitter at Missouri Dental Association and @MoDentalAssn. Learn more about LAMP at Lampinterpreters.org, on Facebook at LAMP Interpreters, and Twitter @LAMPSTL.
This article was written by Andrea L., Portuguese interpreter and intern at LAMP.
For more information, visit the Missouri Dental Association’s website at: www.momom.org and follow them on Facebook and Twitter at Missouri Dental Association and @MoDentalAssn. Learn more about LAMP at Lampinterpreters.org, on Facebook at LAMP Interpreters, and Twitter @LAMPSTL.
This article was written by Andrea L., Portuguese interpreter and intern at LAMP.
