Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps (RAM) is a non-profit, volunteer, airborne medical relief corps that is based Knoxville, Tennessee. It runs free mobile medical clinics in underserved, isolated, and impoverished communities to provide general medical, dental, and eye care. Some of its clinics offer veterinarian care as well.
RAM was founded in 1985 by Stan Brock, who worked as an assistant to Marlin Perkins on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. The group's work was originally confined to Third World countries, but it later shifted towards the US.
According to RAM, since 1985, RAM's Corps of more than 100,000 Humanitarian Volunteers, who are licensed dental, vision, veterinary, and medical professionals, have treated more than 700,000 individuals and 67,000 animals, delivering $112 million worth of free health care services. RAM was the subject of a 2014 documentary film by Farihah Zaman and Jeff Reichert.
Many states have laws that prohibit medical personnel from crossing state lines and working at RAM clinics, which Brock hopes soon will change with the help of legislation Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville, has filed that would provide $1 million to any state that allows licensed medical professionals to travel from other states and offer their services to those in need. The money would be a one-time allocation and, while the bill does not say how it would be used, the intent is to help states pay any costs associated with allowing outside doctors to volunteer within their borders. Right now, only 12 states, including Tennessee, allow that kind of cross-state volunteer medical work. The legislation, called the Healthier Act, specifies that out-of-state medical personnel could work only at weekend clinics. That would prevent them from moving into a state and setting up a permanent or semi-permanent practice.
One of the biggest clinics RAM holds -- in Wise, Virginia -- is the nation's largest pop-up free clinic. The 2017 clinic involved about 1,400 volunteers serving 2,300 men and women who needed care of every kind.
RAM is funded through donations and relies on volunteers from the community, as well as professionals including physicians, dentists, optometrists, nurses, pilots and veterinarians to provide care in poorer communities.
Remote Area Medical's Disaster Relief arm reaches around the world. Through partnerships with global organizations, and thanks to international volunteers, they are able to respond to disasters by land, sea, and air, delivering medical relief and other humanitarian aid when needed. Recent disasters RAM has responded to would be the 2016 hurricane in Haiti, as well as a 2010 earthquake in Haiti. RAM has also responded to disasters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Philippines, Greece, and Nepal.
Remote Area Medical's Veterinary Program helps to eliminate pet care costs for those in need who live in underserved, impoverished, and isolated communities. RAM believes in comprehensive healthcare and seeks to improve the lives of families by improving the health of their pets. Since RAM's founding in 1985, RAM has provided valuable veterinary services to over 67,000 large and small animals.
Video Remote Area Medical
References
Maps Remote Area Medical
External links
- Official website
- Leve, Ariel (2009-04-05). "Saint Stan Brock: who are you?". The Times. Wapping, England: Times Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- Adams, Guy (2009-08-15). "The brutal truth about America's healthcare". The Independent. London, England: Independent News & Media. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- Maggin, Alice; Sadie Bass (2009-08-14). "Free Health Care for Those Who Need It Most". ABC News. Burbank, California: ABC. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
Source of article : Wikipedia
0 Comments