As of Wednesday morning, 1,200 patients had been seen
Leaders of the Green River Area Wellness Innovative Readiness Training medical mission hosted Distinguished Visitors Wednesday to tour the work occurring at North Middle School.
Officials at a morning breakfast heralded the work occurring at NMS, where residents are offered care for free. As of Wednesday morning—day six of the mission—1,200 patients have been seen and 7,500 individual medical services have been provided, totaling $850,000 of fair market value for the services, said Air National Guard Lt. Col. Rowena Peralta, the officer in charge of the IRT mission.
The mission provides medical care for all-comers—no identification needed—while military personnel use the hands-on work as training for when they may be in a wartime mission.
More than 200 soldiers and airmen, including National Guard, reserves and active duty, are training at the IRT mission.
Col. Jennifer Schmidt, the director of the Air National Guard Medical Service, said the reason for the training on the military side is to “save our sons and daughters” when the nation goes to war.
Maj. Nate Horwitz-Willis, of the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard, commended the military personnel conducting the mission. Eleven were honored for their contributions during a breakfast ceremony that occurred prior to a tour of NMS.
He also acknowledged the community and city of Henderson officials who were able to get an IRT mission to return here just two years after the first mission conducted at South Middle School in the summer 2024. He said city and military officials began talking about a return that year.
“It’s rare to come back to a community,” he said.
He also said that the city has been asked to make application for another return, this time in 2028, and he said IRT officials would review it and he even went so far as to say, IRT would like to be here again.
“We want to come back, yes,” he told the breakfast gathering.
“We want you to come back,” Assistant City Manager Buzzy Newman shouted from his seat.
During a tour of the services, mission personnel detailed a wide range of services offered. Those are:
- Medical, which includes comprehensive medical exams and checks for hypertension and diabetes. Sports physicals for school age athletes are also offered.
- Diet/nutrition.
- Audiology. Hearing tests are provided using the WAHTS system.
- A pharmacy.
- Physical therapy
- Dental. Most of the procedures are fillings and extractions but there have been some root canals.
- Optometry. Eye exams, retinal imaging, and prescriptions for new glasses.
Veterinarian services. Veterinarian services are provided at the Henderson County Fairgrounds. Veterinary services will continue 9 a.m.– 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Additionally, satellite services were set up at Union County Middle School from June 11-14. And there’s one more day from this posting for satellite services at Webster County High School, which was scheduled to be open from June 16-19.
