Remote Area Medical (RAM) is a non-profit provider of mobile medical clinics delivering free dental, vision, and medical care (as well as veterinary services when available) to under-served and uninsured individuals.
Founded by British philanthropist Stan Brock, it was originally conceived to treat people in the developing world, but turned its attention to those in need of health care in the United States. [1]
RAM was founded in 1985 by Stan Brock, who worked as an assistant to Marlin Perkins on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom . [2] RAM's work was originally confined to developing countries, but it later shifted towards the US. [3] Today RAM works domestic operations around the United States and internationally when need arises.[ citation needed ]
The clinic in Wise, Virginia, was recently recognized as the nation's largest pop-up free clinic. [4] The 2017 clinic in Wise hosted over 1,000 volunteers and served 2,300 men and women. [5]
RAM completed its 900th clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2018, and its 1,000th clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2019.
RAM were featured on an episode of 60 Minutes on CBS.[ citation needed ]
On March 31, 2014, Remote Area Medical's headquarters moved from an old school building in Knox County, Tennessee to the previous Henniges Automotive facility in Blount County, Tennessee. The previous school building was utilized by RAM for 19 years and was rented by the organization for $1 a year from Knox County.
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. [6] [7]
Remote Area Medical's Veterinary Program provides animal health services to those who live in underserved, impoverished, and isolated communities. [8]
Remote Area Medical's Disaster Relief arm responds to disasters by land, sea, and air, delivering medical relief and other humanitarian aid when needed. [9]
In 2017 Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville, filed a bill 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 with the intent to help states pay any costs associated with allowing outside doctors to volunteer within their borders. 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. [10]
The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) is a part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA helps fund, staff and support a national network of health clinics for people who otherwise would have little or no access to care. BPHC funds health centers in underserved communities, providing access to high quality, family oriented, comprehensive primary and preventive health care for people who are low-income, uninsured or face other obstacles to getting health care.
Plenty International is an environmental, humanitarian aid and human rights organization based in Summertown, Tennessee, United States.
The Edhi Foundation is a non-profit social welfare organization based in Pakistan. It was founded by Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1951, who served as the head of the organization until his death on 8 July 2016. Bilquis Edhi, a nurse by profession, used to oversee the maternity and adoption services of the foundation. The Edhi Foundation is headquartered in the city of Karachi.
A free clinic or walk in clinic is a health care facility in the United States offering services to economically disadvantaged individuals for free or at a nominal cost. The need for such a clinic arises in societies where there is no universal healthcare, and therefore a social safety net has arisen in its place. Core staff members may hold full-time paid positions, however, most of the staff a patient will encounter are volunteers drawn from the local medical community.
The Common Ground Collective is a decentralized network of non-profit organizations offering support to the residents of New Orleans. It was formed in the fall of 2005 in the Algiers neighborhood of the city in the days after Hurricane Katrina resulted in widespread flooding, damage and deaths throughout the city.
The Ithaca Health Alliance is a community-based health care cooperative based in Ithaca, New York. It incorporates financial and service assistance models to alleviate health care costs for its members and is a model for cooperative health care reform in the United States. The mission of IHA is to facilitate access to health care for all, with a focus on the needs of the un- and underinsured. IHA sponsors and operates the Ithaca Free Clinic.
Direct Relief is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally.
Seva Bharati is a non-governmental organization (NGO) working among the economically weaker sections of Indian society, including tribal. It also works among urban slum dwellers and resettlement colonies by introducing welfare and social service programs, such as free medical assistance, free education, and vocational training.
Humanity First is an international charity that provides disaster relief and long term development assistance to vulnerable communities in 52 countries across 6 continents. The organisation is run by volunteers with diverse skillsets across the world and has access to thousands of extra volunteers worldwide. Volunteer staff in all areas often pay their own expenses to support the international projects.
Americares is a global non-profit organization focused on health and development that respond to individuals affected by poverty, disaster, or crisis. The organization addresses poverty, disasters, or crises with medicine, medical supplies and health programs.
The Military Health System (MHS) is a form of nationalized health care operated within the United States Department of Defense that provides health care to active duty, Reserve component and retired U.S. Military personnel and their dependents.
East Tennessee Children's Hospital is a private, independent, not-for-profit, 152-bed pediatric medical center in Knoxville, Tennessee. The hospital's primary service area includes 16 counties in East Tennessee, and its secondary service area includes counties in southwest Virginia, southeast Kentucky and western North Carolina.
The New Waveland Café and New Waveland Clinic together formed a disaster response center consisting of a combination café, soup kitchen, medical clinic, donation center, and market, that operated free of charge from September 5 to December 1, 2005 in immediate Post-Katrina Mississippi Gulf Coast in Waveland, Hancock County, Mississippi. The cafe and clinic were founded in response to Hurricane Katrina and provided free food and free medical care to hurricane victims for three months. They were located in tents in the parking lot of Fred's Department Store at 790 Hwy 90 in Waveland, across the street from the destroyed and gutted Waveland Police Department. The New Waveland Cafe served three free meals every day to thousands of residents and volunteers. The New Waveland Clinic provided free health care to over 5,500 patient contacts. As well, a group of hippies and Christians came together to form a unique group which worked together to provide emergency relief.
Stan Brock was a British philanthropist who founded the charity Remote Area Medical in 1985. He was known as a TV presenter, film actor, author and philanthropist. Critical of the healthcare system in the U.S., The Independent states his work rescued millions of uninsured Americans.
The Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic is a free clinic in Pontiac, Michigan, United States. It provides primary free medical health and dental services to low-income and uninsured individuals. The Burnstein free clinic faces strong demand due to high unemployment in Michigan.
Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) is national nonprofit dedicated to building a network of free primary health care clinics for the uninsured and medically underserved.
BAPS Charities is an international, non-religious, charitable organization that originated from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) with a focus on serving society. This focus on service to society is stated in the organization's vision, that "every individual deserves the right to a peaceful, dignified, and healthy way of life. And by improving the quality of life of the individual, we are bettering families, communities, our world, and our future." BAPS Charities carries out this vision through a range of programs addressing health, education, the environment, and natural disaster recovery. The organization's worldwide activities are funded through donations and are led by a community of over 55,000 volunteers who are mostly members of BAPS. The volunteers work with local communities and other charities and the organization's activities are mainly based out of their mandirs.
Milan Puskar Health Right is a free clinic that provides health and dental care to the uninsured and underinsured at no cost in the city of Morgantown, and Marion, Monongalia, Taylor and Preston counties in West Virginia. Founded in 1984, it accommodates nearly 4,000 patients and 22,000 patient visits annually.
The Anne Kastor Brooklyn Free Clinic is a student run free clinic located in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY. Nearly all the positions from front desk administration and clinical volunteers to Executive Board are staffed by students from the various colleges of SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
International Medical Relief is an international non-government organization (NGO) based in Colorado, United States, that provides health care to vulnerable and under-served populations by recruiting health care professionals and volunteer doctors. International Medical Relief provides disaster response both domestically and internationally with first responder medical teams that provide rapid response health care to meet the immediate needs of communities in need.
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