Reflections of MOM-n-PA 2019
Saturday is a complicated day.
We see just as many patients as Friday, but we
estimate when to close the doors to new patients
as well as when we might be done treating patients.
On this Saturday we closed our doors at 2 p.m. to
new patients and timed the breakdown as the last
patients moved past triage and radiology. We couldn’t
break down the clinical areas until a row was
completely vacated of patients. Each table had two
rows with a total of 18 chairs. As the patients were
dismissed, volunteers would begin the process of
breaking down. Chairs, lights, dental units all
disconnected and packed; supplies returned to
Central Supply; water and suction lines disconnected
and table stacked.
Around or before 5 p.m. the last patients were
leaving and the real work began. Most volunteers
were leaving as well and we tried to have a fresh
crew of breakdown volunteers show up to help.
It never really goes the way we want and a few
of us are left doing the final packing. Now we move
in the fork lift and large crates.
I must give a huge thank you this year to Dr. Chris
Kotchick from Scranton and other members of the
local dental society for staying to the bitter end.
I also must thank the Temple University dental
students for helping to pack up equipment almost
an hour beyond the time they were to leave. They
selflessly and kindly worked after a very long day.
They were such a big help and they earned my
appreciation. I am so happy for their help and I know
that they will be out in force next year when we
return to Philadelphia.
At the end of each mission, Gary and I walk the floor
and look for anything we may have forgotten. It’s a
ritual that we have done for seven years. We review
the past three days as we walk and we make notes
for next year. Eventually he and I both leave only to
return to do it again next year.
The last ritual is to take the ADCF employees out for
dinner. It may be just a few of us, but we need to say
thank you. They comment that they enjoy coming to
Pennsylvania each year because we are so organized
and treat them well. That’s our goal. Treat our
patients and volunteers the very best we can!
Next year, June 5-6, 2020 we will be
at the Liacouras Center at Temple
University. Please consider joining us
and starting your own memories!
SEP TEM BER/OC TOBER 2019 | P EN N SYLVAN IA DEN TAL JOURNAL
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