Pittsburgh’s Free Dental, Vision and Hearing Clinic Seeks Volunteers
By: Liz Reid
For Dr. Daniel Pituch, the number was shocking: UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside treated more than 3,000 patients with dental emergencies in a single year.
“I knew firsthand that these patients were likely receiving palliative dental care and were quite often in need of more comprehensive care that should ideally be provided by dentists in a dental setting,” Dr. Pituch, chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at UPMC Shadyside and UPMC Mercy, said of those 2017 figures.
Daniel Pituch, MD, DMD, co-founder Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh, hugs a dental patient at the 2023 event.
That year, Dr. Pituch helped launch Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh, a free, two-day dental clinic. The local organization is modeled after the national organization of the same name, which travels around the country providing free dental care. Dr. Pituch, along with co-founders Dr. Richard Celko, chief dental officer of UPMC Health Plan, and Pittsburgh entrepreneur Michael Zamagias, believed that Pittsburgh needed a dedicated event.
“UPMC’s leadership at that time, including Leslie Davis, Sandy Rader, and Nick Beckwith, recognized this and supported an initiative to bring this care at least once a year to anyone who needed it,” Dr. Pituch said.
While the event began with dental care, it has since grown to include vision and hearing care. Though Mission of Mercy is an independent entity, UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh have made significant contributions through the years, both in terms of material support and volunteers.
A patient receives dental care at the 2023 Mission of Mercy event.
“The UPMC Vision Institute and Pitt’s Department of Ophthalmology typically bring more than 100 volunteers,” said ophthalmologist Dr. Jake Waxman. “It’s really cool to see just how many people from both inside and outside of our institutions participate. There are lots of volunteers from the Pittsburgh Ophthalmology Society and Western Pennsylvania Optometric Society. Volunteers also come from out of state to help assist the patients.”
Waxman said vision services will be expanded this year to include “on-the-spot photographic screening for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma for people at risk for those conditions.”
For Pitt’s audiology program, the event has become an unofficial alumni reunion, said Dr. Catherine Palmer, director of audiology at UPMC and chair of Pitt’s Department of Communication Science and Disorders.
A patient undergoes a hearing test at the 2023 Mission of Mercy event.
“Hearing care and devices are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid and are out of reach for many people,” said Dr. Palmer. “Hearing devices require regular care and maintenance along with an ongoing supply of batteries. In addition to providing care during the event, we connect people to one of our four free clinics that can support them throughout the year.”
Mission of Mercy is recruiting volunteers for this year’s event, both clinical and non-clinical. There is currently a need for licensed Pennsylvania dentists, oral surgeons, opticians and adult and pediatric refractionists. Volunteers are also needed to greet and register patients, provide translation services and help with setup.
“We really work hard at making sure that our patients receive the dignity and respect they deserve,” said Mission of Mercy CEO Keith Young. “This is a population that doesn’t always get that.”
This year’s event will be held on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1 and 2 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. In addition to free dental, vision and hearing care, patients can take advantage of free blood pressure screenings provided by the American Heart Association.
“Our community needs these services and as pillars of our community we have an obligation to do our best to provide this care to the most vulnerable of our neighbors,” Pituch said. “The unmet need is so significant here that we need all the volunteers that we can get to help with this mission.”
Adds Mission of Mercy’s Keith Young: “We also feed our volunteers exceptionally well!”
