Last week, Oasis Free Clinics opened its new and expanded medical and dental clinics. The new clinics are located at 66 Baribeau Drive in Brunswick.
In 2015, Oasis provided more than $134,000 in free dental services to 166 patients through its biweekly dental clinic. By expanding the dental clinic more people will be able to receive the help they need, rather than taking an unnecessary trip to the emergency department.
By adding two in-house dental suites to its medical facility, Oasis is increasing free dental services for uninsured, low income adults. The dental clinic is only available to Oasis patients at the moment, but they hope to include low income, non-Oasis patients in the future. Oasis also secured $1 million in free or reduced cost prescriptions through their community Prescription Assistance Program.
“If it wasn’t for Oasis, I wouldn’t be here today,” said Oasis patient Madeline Morrison. “I didn’t know how sick I was before I came (to Oasis). They saved my life.”
The Oasis Free Clinics is a nonprofit organization that provide free medical, mental health, and dental care. Oasis also provides prescription assistance for uninsured, low-income residents of Freeport, Durham, Brunswick, Harpswell, and Sagadahoc County.
Andree Appel, Oasis’ Clinical Director, and Frederick Elsaesser, DDS, an Oasis dental volunteer, spoke of Oasis’ history during the opening.
Dr. Peter McGuire founded Oasis in 1992 in the Tedford- Oasis Shelter, in Brunswick, as a clinic devoted to caring for the homeless. Today, there are more than 80 volunteers who work to provide care, including physicians, dentists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and licensed Mental Health counselors, along with many administrative volunteers.
For more information, call (207) 721-9277 or visit Oasis- FreeClinics.org.
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