CALIFORNIA BRIEFING

Remote Area Medical Foundation organizers packed up Wednesday after running an eight-day free health clinic at the Forum in Inglewood. The final tally: Volunteers provided 14,561 services to 6,344 patients.

Organizers estimated that volunteer dentists, doctors and optometrists provided more than $2.8 million in services to the underinsured and uninsured. Some seeking assistance came from out of state and camped out for hours to receive medical treatment from the nonprofit Tennessee-based organization.

In all, 3,827 volunteers assisted in the medical undertaking. They handed out 1,984 pairs of new prescription eyeglasses, extracted 2,274 teeth, filled 5,483 cavities and performed 988 women’s health services, such as mammograms and Pap smears, said volunteer coordinator Jean Jolly.

Organizers have said they consider the event a success, despite having to turn thousands of prospective patients away because they lacked enough volunteers. Remote Area Medical typically visits rural parts of the country and world to provide healthcare. The trip to Southern California marked its longest-running clinic in its largest metropolitan setting.

“The Forum became an island of hope and help for thousands of people who desperately need the care we can provide,” founder Stan Brock said in a statement. “An infected tooth can’t wait while Congress debates healthcare reform. We’re taking care of people who need help now.”

-- Kimi Yoshino