Free RAM medical clinic expected to serve 1,000-plus

 

RAM logoCOOKEVILLE – Remote Area Medical (RAM) will hold a free weekend­-long health care clinic Saturday, April 2-Sunday, April ­3, at Cookeville High School (2335 N. Washington Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501). The group expects to provide dental, vision and general medical care for 1,000-plus patients in the Upper Cumberland region.

Tennessee Tech University nursing and pre­-professional students recently formed a community host group and joined forces with RAM to bring the clinic to town. The Cookeville Regional Charitable Foundation also collected funds to make the event possible; its goal was $10,000 in donations.

“We started the planning stages of this clinic last year,” said Wade Seagrave, group leader and chemistry senior from Cookeville. “And it was wonderful to see so many TTU students express their passion for local health care.”

All providers are certified medical professionals, including but not limited to: dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists, opticians, nurse practitioners, physicians, and physician assistants. Medical professionals are encouraged to join the event at ramusa.org or sign up at the volunteer entrance door before 6 a.m. Saturday or Sunday.

Services include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglass production, women’s health exams, and medical exams. All services are delivered on a first­-come, first-­served basis. Entry numbers are distributed at 3 a.m. – three hours before the clinic begins. Patients can begin lining up for entry numbers at midnight, though many patients will form a line before midnight to ensure they receive a number.

In 2015, RAM volunteers delivered free health care to 27,814 people in the U.S., aiding in filling in a health care gap. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 31 million U.S. citizens will still be uninsured in 10 years.

 

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