Partnership Highlight: Medical Teams International
William Temple House (WTH) relies on community partners in order to make our work possible. We have partnered with Medical Teams International to provide essential dental services at no cost to our community for over twenty years. This has been an invaluable service for people who urgently need a filling or extraction but don’t have dental insurance or are covered by the Oregon Health Plan but cannot afford these services.
WTH first hosted a MTI Mobile Dental Clinic in 1997, and since 2002 has held 342 clinics and treated a total of 3,232 patients! Last fiscal year, MTI donated 1350 lbs. of supplies and hygiene items to the WTH Food Pantry, and 83 clients were treated in the Mobile Dental Clinic – with medical procedures valued at over $44,000.
Medical Teams International (MTI) is a humanitarian relief agency known internationally and locally for their expertise in refugee health care, disaster relief and mobile dental programs. William Temple House (WTH) has partnered with MTI for over 20 years mostly through their local Mobile Dental Program which provides free urgent dental care to anyone who does not have dental insurance.
MTI has a large network of partners in the region but according to Kristi Nolan, Mobile Dental Program Coordinator at MTI, William Temple House stands out because they provide a variety of resources that support the whole person. In her words “WTH cares for the Individual right where they are – treating each person with dignity and respect, providing emotional and spiritual care as well as meeting individual’s tangible needs”.
WTH deeply value this long-standing partnership. Kevin Ryan, WTH’s Social Services Program Manager said “When people find themselves in financial stress, they often have to choose between paying essential bills and medicine or healthcare. A lower quality of life and negative health outcomes result from such difficult decisions. Medical Teams International has provided hygiene items, medicine, medical equipment, and emergency dental services at William Temple House for many years”.
For more Information about Medical Teams International. visit their web site here.