Military service members provide free health care to Big Island residents as part of their real-world training
Tropic Care provides essential medical, dental, optometry and behavioral health services to Big Island residents for free until June 28.
6 hours ago
“I don’t even remember the last time I got my eyes checked,” said Puna resident Ramon Molina after receiving a free eye exam Monday at Keaʻau High School.
Molina and about 350 other Hawaiʻi Island residents have received no cost medical, dental and optometry care through a joint-service mission of the U.S. military called Tropic Care, which provides healthcare services to local underserved communities.
It is part of the Innovative Readiness Training program, which enhances deployment readiness through real-world training in health, construction, transportation and cybersecurity. The program has paired military training requirements with community requests for 25 years.
Since Friday, Army Reserve, Marine Reserve, Navy Reserve and Hawaiʻi Air Guard service members have been providing health care on the Big Island in especially rural areas with limited resources like Puna and Kaʻū.
“For me, it has been difficult to find a low-cost optometrist that I can also make work with my schedule,” Molina said. “These guys were here over the weekend and were close by me, so it was a lot easier for me to finally update my prescription.”
Tropic Care is hosting clinics from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sunday, June 28, at Keaʻau High School, Ocean View Community Center and Kekuaokalani Gym in Kailua-Kona. The last patient check-up will be before 4 p.m. each day. Community members seeking services may experience shorter wait times later in the afternoon.
There are also outreach sites in Kaʻū at different times and days to ensure the most rural communities are met with care. The locations include:
- OKK Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 24 and June 26
- St. Jude’s Episcopal Church: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 23 and June 25
- Kaʻū High School: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 27 and June 28
Today is the last day for optometry care at Keaʻau High School, but it will be available in Kailua-Kona and Ocean View through the rest of the event. Medical, dental and behavioral health services are provided daily at every location.
Optometry patients will receive an eye exam and one pair of prescription glasses. Dental services include oral exams, extractions and fillings. Medical services include general health exams and school or sports physicals.
“Our last mission here was eight years ago and it’s great to be back and working together with partners here to serve as many people as possible,” Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Kevin Mendez said. “We’re happy to help serve those who don’t have as much access to health care in our rural communities to make life a little easier and hopefully a little better.”
For more information, service updates or to request reasonable accommodations regarding on-site accessibility, contact the Hawaiʻi Department of Health directly at 808-974-6006, or visit the 807th Theater Medical Command Facebook page.
