This summer, students from Ross Medical Education Center in Johnson City, Tennessee in the Dental Assistant program went to Bristol, Tennessee to help with the Healing Hands Dental Day event. The Ross students educated children on the importance of oral hygiene through stories, fun games like ring toss, and dental-themed crafts. Ross students also provided healthy snacks for energy and helped to register each child as well as handed out gifts.
According to the students that were a part of the event, one of their favorite parts was one of the activities they did with the children. First, they distributed tablets to the children. When they put them in their mouths, it showed all the plaque they had missed when brushing their teeth. Both the students and children had a great time, and the children learned a lot about good dental hygiene during the event. Ross students said they loved seeing the children smile and get excited about dental health. It was a positive experience that was full of learning! The campus had 11 students from their Dental Assistant class attend and help out in this event. Children were taught the importance of good oral hygiene and were given toothbrushes along with other items for oral hygiene.
In 1997, the mission committee of First Presbyterian Church in Bristol, Tennessee read an article in Parade Magazine about the healthcare crisis in the United States. It stated that one million more Americans go without health insurance each year, and one way communities could help was to start a charitable clinic. The initial planning meeting for the health center was attended by 100 people. The Healing Hands Health Center opened just eighteen months later.
“Healing Hands Health Center provides services for our working, uninsured neighbors. That includes medical care and much needed medications, dental care and exams, x-rays, cleanings, extractions and fillings, chiropractic care, eye exams and eyeglasses, as well as psychological and spiritual counseling services,” shared Emily Armstrong, Office Assistant at Ross in Johnson City. The clinic has numerous partnerships including students from various medical educational centers and over 350 extremely dedicated volunteers that are physicians, nurses, dentists, dental assistants, chiropractors, optometrists, opticians, counselors, clerical workers, drug room volunteers, and receptionists.