The free, traveling mega-clinic ministry Your Best Pathway to Health is once again returning to the Southwest of the United States, giving employees of Loma Linda University Health the chance to volunteer to serve uninsured and underinsured individuals.
Loma Linda University Health is co-sponsoring the event, which will take place in Phoenix from Dec. 25-27. President Richard Hart, MD, DrPH, said he hopes it will be “a major event for Loma Linda.”
Why Christmastime? Lela Lewis, MD, LLU alumna and founder of Your Best Pathway to Health, said Christmas is the day people from all over the world celebrate the gift of life and health eternal.
“What better opportunity to exercise Loma Linda’s motto ‘To make man whole’ than to give people physical, mental and spiritual health — to actually be the physical gift on Christmas?” Lewis said.
The service provided at Pathway clinics exceed the typical health fair: eye care, dental care and even surgery are among the services offered — but only volunteers make this happen.
The goal for the Phoenix event is to treat 10,000 individuals in two and a half days (the 27th is a half day). Approximately 3,500 volunteers are needed.
“I promise it will be a Christmas to remember,” Lewis said.
President Hart encourages individuals from Loma Linda University Health to help staff the event — and both clinical and non-clinical volunteers are needed.
Anyone with a smile and a heartbeat who is 13 or older can volunteer. There will be programming for kids.
Employees are invited to take this survey as soon as possible to indicate their interest level, area of expertise, barriers to going, whether it would be helpful for Loma Linda University Health to assist in coordinating transportation.
Survey link: https://one.lluh.org/vip/General/Upcoming-Events/volunteer-interest
A large number of individuals from Loma Linda volunteered at the 2016 Pathway clinic held in Los Angeles. Read about the experience.