Dental care is only one of the many services provided by the Remote Area Medical Clinic. The non-profit group also provides optical, medical and veterinary services for the uninsured and unemployed. All services provided through the clinic are free of charge.
LMU and RAM have provided $927,863 worth of services to 3,548 people since its first collaboration in 2006. Additionally, 1,291 animals have been spayed or neutered during RAM events at LMU. After a break from hosting duties a year ago, LMU is eager and excited to embrace RAM’s mission in June.
“The RAM event has always been a highlight of our year and we truly missed the opportunity to serve our community in this way last year,” LMU President B. James Dawson said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our faculty, staff and students to come together and serve our community while also gaining valuable learning experiences.”
The clinic will open at 6 a.m. each day. All services are rendered on a first-come, first-served basis, with no eligibility requirements for dental, vision and medical services. Veterinary services are the only services which require proof of income. Patients are encouraged to arrive early (by 3:30 am), be prepared for inclement weather and long waits and bring snacks and drinks to last throughout the day. Patients who are unable to stand for long periods of time are encouraged to bring a lawn chair with them.
The patient entrance for medical, dental and optical services will be located at the lower level of Tex Turner Arena, which is behind the building. The lower level parking lot will be reserved for event staff and handicapped parking only. All other parking will be in the upper parking lot; shuttle buses will run from that lot to the patient entrance throughout the weekend.
A variety of free services will be rendered at LMU:
• Medical services will include specialist exams, osteopathic manipulations, diabetes screenings and education, cholesterol screenings, pulmonary function testing, Pap smears, breast exams and medication assistance. Lab work will be processed at no cost by Claiborne County Hospital.
• Dental cleanings, fillings and extractions will be performed onsite.
• Vision services: complete eye exams; eyeglasses will be made on site, as time and supplies permit
• Veterinary services are the only services which require proof of income. The veterinary clinic will provide free spays and neutering for cats and dogs to households with an income level of $15,000 or less annually. The veterinary services will be administered at the Schenck Center which is adjacent to the Tex Turner Arena in the upper parking lot. These services will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Animals should not have had anything to eat for 12 hours prior to surgery (water is fine), should be in good overall health, and should be at least four months old.
The LMU RAM expedition will be staffed by licensed volunteer medical, dental, vision and veterinary personnel from across the country, and the University and RAM are busy recruiting licensed practitioners for the event. TO VOLUNTEER, GO TO www.ramusa.org (info is available from the LMU link on the 2012 schedule).
Osteopathic medical students and physician assistant students from the LMU-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) will team up with LMU medical technology students, under the supervision of University physicians and staff, to fill appropriate positions in the medical area. Faculty and students from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis will once again travel across the state to provide vision care.
For more information about services available at the LMU RAM expedition call (423) 869-7162.
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