Heal Elgin Project returns for 7th year offering free medical, dental and vision services Oct. 24-25

The Heal Elgin Two-Day Free Clinic returns for its seventh year on Oct. 24-25, with 40 dental chairs, 6 vision lanes, and multiple medical services, opening its doors at 6 a.m. each day.

The free clinic provides dental, vision, and medical services to patients on a first-come, first- served basis at Judson University’s Lindner Fitness Center, 1151 N. State St., Elgin. All services are completely free, and no insurance, employment, or ID is required.

Elgin is surrounded by many smaller towns and farm areas, and because of the many nearby hospitals, it serves as a healthcare gateway for people who don't want to go to Chicago. The free clinic is crucial because, compared to other cities in Illinois, Elgin has more underinsured and underserved people, Elgin Mayor David Kaptain has said.

The Heal Elgin Project began in 2018 as a community initiative of Elgin Adventist Church under the leadership of Dr. Terri Dallas-Prunskis, M.D. “Our church goes beyond ‘church’; it invests in serving the needs of the community. Our purpose is to restore the image of God in a world of brokenness, one life at a time.”

That church initiative has grown over the years to become a partnership of academic institutions in the area (Midwestern University, Judson University, Rosalind Franklin University, Harper College and Elgin Community College) with local and national businesses, foundations, churches, and individual donors, who have one common goal: to provide free dental, vision, and medical services to underserved populations.

Services available at the Heal Elgin Clinic include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental X-rays, acrylic partial dentures, anterior root canals, eye exams, glaucoma testing, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made and delivered to patients, women’s health consultations, general medical and pediatric exams (including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, stroke risk, and colorectal cancer screenings), lifestyle medicine counseling (how to increase well-being and longevity, spiritual counseling), and other services.

Due to time constraints, patients should choose either dental or vision services. Medical services and lifestyle medicine consultations are offered to every patient attending the clinic.

The clinic parking lot will open at 4 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. Patients will be seen in ticket-number order when the clinic doors open at 6 a.m.

This process will be repeated on Sunday, Oct. 25, with doors opening at 6 a.m. All patients and volunteers should arrive at the Lindner Fitness Center by taking River Road to Providence College, then turning right onto the road to the Municipal Water Treatment Plant and the Lindner Fitness Center parking lot.

They are encouraging all patients to arrive as early as possible, especially for dental services. They stop registering patients when the clinic reaches capacity for that day.

For information, to donate, or to volunteer, visit www.HealElgin.org, email Hello@HealElgin.Org or call (224) 407-5020. Visit facebook.com/HealElgin/.