news-record.com

GREENSBORO — As long as the broken tooth wasn’t causing him pain, Kevin Myers of Greensboro didn’t want to think about the cost of having it removed.

By the time the long, predominantly white bus arrived at Guilford Baptist Church months later, the pain was nearly paralyzing.

“You just can’t afford insurance anymore,” said Myers, who boarded the mobile medical and dental bus at the church and was treated for free by veteran Greensboro dentist Lisa Adornetto.

“These people are doing an amazing thing here,” Myers said after the tooth extraction that he couldn’t have afforded elsewhere. “And it didn’t even hurt.”

Run by the N.C. Baptist Men, the 40-foot bus with the high-tech sterile clinic is equipped for any church or organization in the state that wants to sponsor it — for as little as $7 a patient.

One of two operated by the nonprofit arm of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, the bus stopped at Guilford Baptist on Aug. 16 for teeth cleanings, extractions and fillings. It’s also a way to share the love of Jesus, church members say, in a tangible way.

“Each of us Matters to God,” reads one of the posters adorning the bus interior.

“If you stop and think about it, Jesus fed those 5,000 before he even talked to them,” said Jimmy Sowers, a member of the church and the Baptist men’s group, which is best known for its response to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. “He healed people first.”

The ministry at Guilford Baptist thought a good way of doing that was to offer free medical care. And on that Saturday, the church’s makeshift waiting area stayed full.

“I knew there would be more than we could handle — we’ve had calls every day,” said Rosemary Steed, a registered nurse and church member who organized the visit. “You don’t want to turn anyone away.”

As she speaks, a couple and their four children are reluctantly turned away from the check-in station. There are already too many people waiting, they’re told.

“A lot of people may have medical care, but dental care is a luxury for some people,” Steed said, as the family walked out. “So preventative care becomes emergency care.”

The nearly 50 others getting care would all be the beneficiaries of good will — and a bit of great happenstance.

Sponsors, for example, recruit staff. Steed works for the husband of Dr. Beth Bordon, who had done volunteer work in New Orleans and Seattle and quickly said yes. Susan Moshir, a dental assistant who attends Guilford Baptist, recruited her employers, dentists Adornetto and Kathryn Kruskamp, and others for the medical support staff. Some came from the congregation.

“It was good for all of us to pause, despite being in the middle of moving our practice, and to use the gifts we’ve been given to give back to the community,” Kruskamp said. “It’s a wonderful feeling and just a good thing to do.”

And apparently, a popular place to be. Other church members volunteered to check people or help keep the children busy. Some elderly members who couldn’t go to the clinic sent food or donated money. Firefighters and EMS workers from Station 52 on Meadowood Road volunteered to perform some of the medical checks, including tests for diabetes, blood pressure and the eye exams.

“It’s good being here,” said a woman who spoke halting English, as she finished up in the dental chair. As soon as she left, another patient was escorted aboard.

“We’ve got everything a dentist would like,” said Doug Robbins, who drove the bus.

That includes examination and X-ray equipment, an ultrasonic cleaner and a water supply.

Guilford Baptist initially wanted to target a lower-income apartment complex community but didn’t get a big response. The church then advertised in the Piedmont Baptist Association newsletter to recruit through other churches.

Appointments had to be double-booked because, as experience has shown, people who sign up don’t always show up.

During the clinic’s seven hours came a youth pastor without dental insurance, who would otherwise pay out of pocket. Three refugee families — parents and children — came in for their first visit to a dentist.

“There was a lady who said she was willing to ride the bus with her grandchildren for an hour to get to the church,” Steed said.

Not only did the church offer her transportation while setting up the appointment, but volunteers drove those who eventually needed to fill prescriptions for pain medicine to nearby pharmacies, and church funds paid for them.

“There are so many people who fall through the cracks — they make too much money for Medicaid but all their income goes to taking care of their children and buying food,” said Edith Robbins, who volunteers with the bus ministry.

Unlike during a regular visit to the dentist, those who waited for their turn also had the opportunity to visit a “prayer and witness” room, where they could talk to people such as Sowers.

“We’ve prayed with several people who just needed someone to talk to,” Sowers said as a woman left the room, grasping a tissue.

Sowers would have loved having the chance to talk to them all about Jesus.

Even if people didn’t stop by the room, they figured, the “evangelical witness” would get passed on. The hygiene kits full of toothpaste and floss came with “salvation bracelets” and instructions on what the colored beads represented, water bottles with Bible verses, and a New Testament Bible from the Gideons, who were on hand. Stuffed animals for the children had Bible verses tied around their necks.

“We’re not here to recruit people to the church,” Sowers said. “But we do have a message to share.”

Contact Nancy H. McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com