CareNow/LA Served Approximately 3,700 Patients During Four-Day Free Clinic at the Los Angeles Sports Arena

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CareNow wrapped up its four-day-long free clinic at the Los Angeles Sports Arena - the first under the CareNow banner. Supported by the Los Angeles medical, dental and vision professional community, the free clinic provided services to more than 3,700 patients from Oct. 20-23. Thanks to approximately 3,100 volunteers, patients received free dental exams and cleanings, tooth extractions, vision exams and prescription glasses, mammograms, Pap smears, podiatry consultations and more.

CareNow partnered with Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and collaborated with more than 100 organizations in Los Angeles County to provide free medical services to the Los Angeles community. Partners included Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Catholic Healthcare West, L.A. Care Health Plan, the Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Keck School of Medicine of USC, and the Los Angeles Sports Arena, among others.

CareNow organizers and health care professionals, building on their experience in previous free clinics, have developed new systems and resources to effectively transform large urban venues such as sports arenas and convention centers into fully staffed and equipped working clinics – everything from HIPAA compliant electronic medical records to pharmacies and labs. The CareNow/LA clinic also innovated a system to connect patients to follow-up care — patients attending the clinic who needed follow-up were placed into medical homes in their communities. CareNow/LA recruited a coalition of clinics and providers who accepted patients from the event and had representatives on site who made follow-up appointments and forwarded medical records before patients left the arena.

"This year's clinic was a gateway to sustainable care," said Don Manelli, president of CareNow. "Unlike other urban free clinics limited to episodic care on site, CareNow/LA also provided the bridge that can connect those who are without access to care to a structured healthcare system."

CareNow/LA by the Numbers

The below are final statistics for the clinic from Oct. 20-23:

For more information please visit us at www.carenowusa.org, follow us on Twitter @CareNowUSA or like us on Facebook/CareNow USA.

About CareNow

CareNow brings help and hope to the uninsured and underserved in America's urban centers. The organization works with local community resources and volunteers to produce free clinics providing comprehensive medical, dental, and vision care to individuals and families who are without access to the healthcare they need. There is no cost to the patient for the services provided. Clinics are staffed by professional and general volunteers, and supported by donations – both financial and in-kind – from local and national supporters. To learn more about CareNow and this year's clinic, please visit the organization's website at www.carenowusa.org.

SOURCE CareNow