JASPER — The end of the no-cost medical services provided to the community through Mission: Ozark Wellness, will end Thursday, July 25, at both the Jasper School and Kingston School campuses.
Also known as an Innovative Response Training (IRT) the US Army Reserve, working in partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District and community stakeholders, is delivering optometry, dental, medical, and veterinary services at both the Kingston and Jasper schools campuses.
There are approximately 100 Army Reserve soldiers on ground split between the Jasper and Kingston locations.
LTC Kristin Porter, US Army Reserve, the public affairs officer for the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) mission, said the significance of IRT missions is two-fold. First, these missions are primarily done by military Reserve units (Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, or Navy and Marine Reserve) as their two-week annual training (AT) requirement. Often, AT consists of going to the field and training on medical simulators. But in the IRT missions, licensed and credentialed healthcare providers work with real patients, further enhancing their medial skills. Coming to an IRT location also simulates a mobilization with medical logistics, personnel movement, setting up a clinic in an austere site and not falling in on an established medical clinic. For the DOD to approve the IRT match, the mission must show soldiers are being trained – on mobilization, medical professional development, military skills, cross-training skills, etc.
The second part of the IRT mission is the significant benefit to the community. All services are provided at no cost to the community or anyone receiving services. There is no requirement for ID or insurance. There is no sign up online as that could possibly disadvantage other people, and the services are provided to assist as many as possible with a need.