Free Clinic

Not a healthy situation Re "Seeking a shot at free clinic," April 26 I know I'm not alone in my emotional reaction to this Times article. On the one hand, it made me happy to know that a handful of uninsured Americans received some type of care this week. On the other hand, the piece enraged me as I thought of them waiting in that line, hoping that one medical visit could and would help. What about those who could not line up overnight — or who didn't even know about the clinic — who will continue to suffer?

When organizers of a massive free clinic scrambled this week to find volunteer doctors to treat thousands of needy patients at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, the Vaisman family answered the call. Dr. Boris Vaisman, 34, who practices with his mother in Woodland Hills, recruited his father, who practices in Studio City, and his brother, who will graduate from medical school in June. Dr. Sofia Vaisman, 61, treated women, some of whom had never seen a gynecologist and did not know what a mammogram was. Dr. Mark Vaisman, 61, performed general medical exams.

Overwhelmed by demand for dental services, organizers of a massive free mobile health clinic asked some patients who had Tuesday appointments to return next week, a hitch in an otherwise smooth first day at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The need for dental work was nearly double what organizers saw on the first day of a similar free clinic held in August, said Roger Fieldman, a dentist who serves as volunteer dental director. Much of the increased demand was tied to the state's elimination of adult Denti-Cal last summer, Fieldman said.

More than 1,200 people flocked to the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on Tuesday for the start of a weeklong free clinic. Organizers tried to shorten the lines this year by distributing color-coded wristbands in advance, signifying the day and time when patients will be treated, about 1,200 a day. But scores of those with orange Tuesday wristbands lined up outside the arena overnight anyway, concerned they would miss their chance for...

Organizers of a massive free mobile health clinic that opens Tuesday will distribute the remaining wristbands for medical appointments -- about 1,200 -- beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. The announcement was made after more than a dozen people showed up at the Los Angeles Sports Arena on Monday seeking appointments. Volunteers with Remote Area Medical, the Tennessee-based nonprofit running the free clinic, gave them wristbands and then set a new time for people to make the remaining appointments.

Nearly 5,600 people lined up outside the Los Angeles Sports Arena on Sunday, many camping out in the cold on the sidewalk overnight, to claim wristbands and a chance for free dental and medical treatment at a massive health clinic this week. "It's kind of hard to ignore," said organizer Don Manelli. "Somebody waits all night outside to see a dentist — that tells you something." The seven-day clinic, which starts Tuesday, will include vision exams, mammograms and diabetes screening, among other services.

More than 3,000 people lined up Sunday morning to sign up for treatment at a massive free health clinic that will begin Tuesday at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Organizers of the free clinic, which served more than 6,300 people during its first visit to Los Angeles in August, have said those seeking help must pre-register Sunday, a change they hope will reduce waits and leave fewer people turned away. Those at the front of the line had packed duffel bags and folding chairs to wait overnight in brisk temperatures.

Patients seeking treatment next week at a massive free healthcare clinic at the Los Angeles Sports Arena must pre-register in person Sunday, organizers said. The requirement marks a significant change from how patients were seen when the first clinic was held last year in Los Angeles. More than 6,300 people got free healthcare then, but scores more waited in line only to be turned away because of a shortage of medical volunteers. Organizers hope a new color-coded wristband system will reduce both waits and the number of people turned away from the clinic, which runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to May 3. "It's much more orderly, much more respectful of the patients," said Don Manelli, an organizer with Knoxville, Tenn.

The organizers of a massive free clinic scheduled to return to Los Angeles later this month have announced that color-coded wristbands will be distributed to patients in advance of the weeklong health clinic at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, a change they hope will reduce waits and leave fewer people turned away. "This way, people can come on their designated day and not worry about long lines just to get in. The wristband is the ticket into the clinic," said Don Manelli, an organizer with Knoxville, Tenn.

The organizers of a massive free clinic scheduled to return to Los Angeles later this month announced Monday that they will distribute color-coded wristbands in advance of their opening at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, a change they hope will reduce patient lines. "This way, people can come on their designated day and not worry about long lines just to get in. The wristband is the ticket into the clinic," said Don Manelli, an organizer with Knoxville, Tenn.-based Remote Area Medical, the nonprofit sponsoring the clinic.