Remote Area Medical urgently needs volunteers

Remote Area Medical urgently needs volunteers to help provide free medical, dental and vision services to the Livingston and surrounding communities on July 9-10.

The background of RAM is as follows:

Founded in 1985 by Stan Brock, Remote Area Medical - RAM® is a major nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent pain and alleviate suffering by providing free, quality healthcare to those in need. To accomplish this, RAM operates pop-up clinics delivering free, quality dental, vision and medical services to underserved, uninsured and underinsured individuals who do not have access to or cannot afford a doctor.

RAM was initially founded to serve as a provider of free medical care in remote areas of developing countries, such as Guyana, Mexico and Haiti. Almost immediately after beginning operations, RAM began receiving requests to operate clinics in the United States. This ultimately led to the operation of the first America. RAM clinic, on May 9, 1992, in Sneedville, Tenn. Today, more than 95 percent of all RAM operations take place domestically.

In order to treat as many people as possible, RAM recruits volunteers for the operation of its pop-up clinics. RAM volunteers include licensed nurses, physician assistants, doctors, dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists, ophthalmologists, opticians, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants and pre-professional

students, as well as general support volunteers. Since 1985, more than 182,000 RAM volunteers have treated more than 888,500 individuals, delivering more than $181.5 million worth of free healthcare services.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, RAM developed a new way to reach patients through RAM Telehealth. This new program connects volunteer healthcare practitioners with patients seeking health services through free online appointments.

In addition to pop-up clinics, RAM continues to operate a disaster relief program. RAM held a dental clinic in Nassau, Bahamas in response to Hurricane Dorian, delivering more than $220,000 in free care. More recently, RAM held a free dental, vision and medical clinic in Lake Charles, La., in November 2020, delivering care to hundreds of individuals in a community reeling from the impact of two devastating hurricanes. In early 2022, Remote Area Medical held a vision clinic in Bowling Green, Ky., serving 169 individuals with $44,903 worth of free vision care following the historic tornado outbreak.

RAM is also known for its robust veterinary program, which aims to lower the health risks and lessen the financial and psychological burden to families caused by the sickness of an animal. By partnering with local and national organizations, RAM has provided vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, microchipping and other services to more than 69,900 animals.