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Wlaf1450ROCKFORD, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF) – Remote Area Medical- RAM® – a major nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics delivering free, quality dental, vision and medical care to underserved and uninsured individuals—will be in Caryville this weekend on August 28 and 29 to provide free care.
All RAM services are free, and no ID is required. Free dental, vision, and medical services will be provided on a firstcome, first-served basis.
The two day clinic, in collaboration with members of the local community, will be held at Caryville Elementary School, located at 120 Cardinal Circle, Caryville.
“Remote Area Medical is glad to be able to help bring free services to those in need in the Caryville community,” said RAM CEO Jeff Eastman. “This has been a challenging time, and access to healthcare is more important than ever before.”
Services available at the RAM free clinic will include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental x-rays, eye exams, glaucoma testing, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, women’s health exams, and general medical exams. RAM will also be offering blood work services at the clinic (tests include: A1C, CBC, CMP, TSH, ESR, and more).
“We are so excited to work with Remote Area Medical to bring important medical resources to the citizens of Campbell County,” said Allyssa Jeffries, Community Host Group co-lead. “Being from this community, we’ve seen firsthand the need for these services. Our goal is to bridge that gap between need and access, removing barriers that normally stand in the way and providing citizens with opportunities to better their health.”
Due to time constraints, patients should be prepared to choose between dental and vision services. Free medical services are offered in addition to dental or vision services to every patient attending the clinic.
The patient parking lot will open no later than 12:01 am, Saturday, August 28 and remain open. As patients arrive at the parking lot, they will be provided with additional information regarding clinic opening processes and next steps. Patients should be prepared with their own food, water, medicines, and clothing, when arriving early. Bathrooms will be provided.
Clinic doors open at 6 am on Saturday, August 28. This process will repeat on Sunday, August 29.
RAM encourages everyone who would like services, especially dental services, to arrive as early as possible. In some situations, such as inclement weather, volunteer cancellations, or other circumstances outside of RAM’s control, the parking lot may open earlier or a smaller number of patients served. *Clinic closing time may vary based on each service area’s daily capacity. Please check RAM’s clinic FAQ page for more information.
In response to COVID-19, RAM has incorporated and developed new disinfecting and safety processes. All patients will be required to wear a face covering and must undergo a COVID-19 screening before entering the clinic. Guests and family members of patients, including pets, will not be allowed to enter the building. New air flow, disinfecting processes, and capacity limitations have also been put in place to ensure the safety of patients, staff and volunteers.
Second Harvest of East Tennessee will also be on-site distributing food boxes to the patients of the clinic.
Since RAM’s founding in 1985, more than 863,000 individuals have received free services.
For more information about volunteering at a RAM pop-up medical clinic in the future or to donate, visit www.ramusa.org or call 865-579-1530. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/26/2021-6AM)