by Kailey Young

The third annual Cruisin’ For Telemedicine fundraiser will be held Aug. 9 from 6-8:30 p.m.

The fundraiser is to be held at the Saluda Party Place and Event Center (formerly Saluda Jamboree). For a small cost, tickets can be purchased that will include an old car show, hot dogs and fixings, live music, a raffle drawing and more. All proceeds will go towards the telemedicine program.

WNC Telemedicine Consultants Inc., a 501 (c)(3) organization, was formed with the intent of virtually connecting residents of Polk County with medical specialists. The goal is to help patients receive medical treatment without the extra expense of travel.

This year, the funds will be used to continue the project into phase II, which aims to bring in another hospital and two more rural counties.

“Phase I is complete with St. Luke’s Hospital, Foothills Medical Associates and Saluda Medical Center,” said project manager Shena Mintz.

So far the project has seen a few setbacks. They had an extra $7,000 of unexpected expenses to cover. Among all of the extra expenses, they have only been able to do a few consults with the telemedicine equipment.

Mintz said, “we are just trying to work out the kinks so that we can move forward.”

Although there is no specific goal they are hoping to reach with this fundraiser, everything helps, she said.

The group hopes to raise as much as possible to successfully carry them into the next phase of the project and help patients receive the specialized treatment they need in more rural areas.

For more information regarding the event, contact Shena Mintz at shenamintz@gmail.com or 828-674-9788.