70 Patients Treated at First TOUCH Clinic
MMA’s mobile clinic in Torrance
Over 70 people received free medical, dental and optical care in the Los Angeles South Bay area on Saturday, September 29, 2012. Christ Our Savior Anglican Church, in conjunction with Anglican Health Ministries, led a coalition of partners known as the Torrance Outreach for Unified Community Health (TOUCH) to bring Medical Mission Adventures’ (MMA) mobile medical clinic to Torrance, California. The coalition consisted of Christ Our Savior, The Harbor Church, and the Torrance Salvation Army which hosted the first clinic site.
People came long distances to receive care. One man came from the San Gabriel Valley for optical needs and another woman traveled 75 miles from San Bernardino and slept overnight at the Salvation Army to wait for the clinic to open in the morning. Patients were very grateful, and could not believe that clinic services were free.
While comprehensive care was offered, dental and optical needs were the most utilized services.
Volunteers visited with patents, shared the gospel and invited many to church on Sunday. Louie Rosado, executive director of MMA, gave his own Christian testimony to the waiting patients.
Special note should be made of the support of the Salvation Army staff. Pastors Neil and Rubina Navarro opened their entire service center for the clinic. Officers provided refreshments to the patients and provided valuable administrative and minsterial support.
Patient waiting area
Anglican Health Ministries worked with MMA for over two years on licensing, regulatory, and insurance requirements. “It was a long-road of red tape and endless inspections, but we were finally able to open the doors,” said physician and Deacon Val W. Finnell, who is Executive Director of Anglican Health Ministries.
Overall, TOUCH Coalition members thought the day was very successful. More work needs to be done to recruit medical, dental and optometry staff in the South Bay to support ongoing local clinics throughout the year. More TOUCH Coalition members are being sought to support clinic operations.
Patients receive free dental care
Christ Our Savior would like to extend an invitation to other Anglicans within the Diocese of Western Anglicans to partner with them in hosting regular clinics in the South Bay area. Local clinic volunteers are also desperately needed. Those interested should contact Christ Our Savior Senior Warden, Tom Winfrey, at tawinfrey@yahoo.com.
Free Mobile Clinic Opens Its Doors in Torrance
The TOUCH Coalition, Medical Mission Adventures, and Anglican Health Ministries are bringing a free mobile medical unit to Torrance, California on Saturday, September 29th from 9AM-5 PM. The mobile clinic will be located at the Salvation Army Service Center; 4223 Emerald St; Torrance, CA 90503. The clinic will offer medical, dental, and optical care regardless of ability to pay.
TOUCH is a network of South Bay churches working together to assist our neighbors with medical, dental, and optical care. Its members include Christ Our Savior Anglican Church in Torrance, The Harbor Church in Harbor City, and the Salvation Army in Torrance.
Download the flyer for more information and help spread the word.
Map to clinic location:
2012 Annual Pre-Lenten Prayer Breakfast Presentation
Dr. Val Finnell, Executive Director of Anglican Health Ministries was the guest speaker for the COS 2012 Annual Pre-Lenten Prayer Breakfast in Torrance, CA. The title of the presentation was, “Transformation Through Holistic Ministry.”
All proceeds from the prayer breakfast went to support Medical Mission Adventures’ free, mobile clinic and the Torrance Outreach for Unified Community Health (TOUCH) Coalition. The free clinic is being sponsored by TOUCH, which is an outreach ministry of Christ Our Savior in Torrance. The mobile clinic was on site for prayer breakfast attendees to tour.
The prayer breakfast began with Morning Prayer at 7AM, followed by breakfast at 8AM. The complete video of the presentation is below to watch at your leisure.
Annual Pre-Lenten Prayer Breakfast
Transformation Through Holistic Ministry
Join Christ Our Savior Anglican Church for our Annual Pre-Lenten Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, February 18, 2012.
Morning Prayer will begin at 7 AM at Christ Our Savior Anglican Church (directions).
Breakfast will be begin at 8 AM at the Torrance Moose Lodge, located right across the street from the church at 1020 Sartori Ave.
The cost is $25 per person or $175 for a table of 8 ($25 savings).
This year’s speaker will be Val W. Finnell, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Anglican Health Ministries and Junior Warden of Christ Our Savior Anglican Church (pictured at right). Dr. Finnell currently serves as the Chief of the Medical Staff at Los Angeles Air Force Base and is a postulant for the vocational diaconate in the Missionary Diocese of All Saints.
Dr. Finnell’s talk, Transformation Through Holistic Ministry, will share his personal experience as a hospice volunteer in Washington, DC and his work with the uninsured in his own parish. Other topics will include:
- The need for medical ministry in Torrance
- The Biblical basis for medical and healing ministry
- How Anglicans and other Christians can get involved
Net proceeds from the prayer breakfast will go to support the Torrance Outreach for Unified Community Health (TOUCH) Coalition, an outreach ministry of COS. TOUCH is a group of Christian churches, non-profit organizations, health-care entities, professionals, and concerned citizens who are dedicated to improving the health of their community in Torrance, California.
MMA's mobile clinic will be onsite
Also attending the prayer breakfast will be Mr. Louie Rosado, Presdient of Medical Mission Adventures (MMA). COS and TOUCH are partnering with MMA to bring their mobile clinic to Torrance through the TOUCH Coalition. MMA’s clinic features free medical, dental, and optical care. The mobile clinic will be onsite at the prayer breakfast.
View the Prayer Breakfast Presentation
COS Demos Mobile Medical Clinic
MMA's Mobile Clinic
Christ Our Savior Anglican Church, in conjunction with Anglican Health Ministries and the Torrance Outreach for Unified Community Health (TOUCH) Coalition, demonstrated Medical Mission Adventures’ (MMA) mobile medical clinic for Torrance Memorial Medical Center (TMMC) on Friday, November 11, 2011. In attendance were representatives from the community, including the Salvation Army, Torrance Corps.
Mr. Louie Rosado, President of MMA and Dr. Finnell, Executive Director of Anglican Health Ministries and founder of TOUCH, made a presentation to the executive staff of TMMC followed by a clinic walkthrough. All of the clinic’s capabilities were on display (i.e. medical, dental, and optical). The presentation focused on the need for primary medical care services among the area’s uninsured and underinsured population and how community organizations can network together to enhance continuity of care and reduce uncompensated emergency department visits.
During the free clinic visits, the Christian staff witnesses to patients and shares the gospel. AHM and MMA both believe that we can best minister to people through words and loving actions. The clinic is also a unique way to bring community assets together to address long-term needs in Torrance.
Mr. Rosado explains clinic features to Torrance Memorial executive staff
TOUCH and MMA will work with TMMC and other community organizations in the coming weeks to establish a corps of volunteers to host the free clinic on a regular basis in Torrance. If you would like to be part of this effort, please join the Coalition.
The brief video below will give you the highlights of the clinic’s capabilities:
COS Ministry Featured on AnglicanTV
Watch this CAM2CAM interview of Dr. Finnell (Executive Director of Anglican Health Ministries (AHM) and Junior Warden of Christ Our Savior Anglican Church) with Kevin Kallsen of AnglicanTV. In this brief interview, Dr. Finnell describes the mission and vision of AHM along with some of our upcoming ministry activities. AHM is a ministry of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints that cooperates with other dioceses and individual parishes throughout the Province. Christ Our Savior will be sponsoring some of the initial outreach work of AHM in the City of Torrance, CA. Please help us get the word out by cross posting this video widely.
