Dental services main need at RAM clinic
With the efficiency of a military operation, Remote Area Medical volunteers and staff filled the Oak Ridge Civic Center, providing free vision, dental and medical services to hundreds of people over the weekend.
The parking lot opened at 11:59 am. Friday for the pop-up clinic, which opened at 6 a.m. Saturday. RAM Media Relations Coordinator Chris Cannon said when he drove by the parking lot at 7 p.m. Friday, 20 cars of people seeking healthcare were already parked. With personnel asking people whether they wanted vision or dental care - medical care was provided to all - all openings for dental care Saturday were filled by 2 a.m., he said. There would be more openings on Sunday.
Zoie Farmer, 19, of Knoxville came to get her braces removed. She said she'd needed them removed for the last year and a half but couldn't afford the $1,000 bill.
Justin Trisler, an orthodontist with East Tennessee Orthodontics, 1143 Oak Ridge Turnpke, removed them. Farmer would be getting her teeth cleaned later. When he paused for a brief interview, Trisler was providing triage for dental services.
Trisler said he'd volunteered at RAM clinics in Clinton, Knoxville and now Oak Ridge.
"I've been blessed with a certain skill set," Trisler replied when asked why he volunteered. He said he liked using that "skill set" to help others.
The Civic Center gym was three-fourths full of clear tents where dental work was being performed. Cannon said equipment was filtering the air inside the tents every 45 seconds to help prevent COVID-19 or other illnesses from spreading. Nearby dental equipment was disinfected after it was used. At the front of the gym, dental X-rays were being done if requested by the dentists. Several rows of people waited their turn to be seen by dentists.
Sixty percent of the services requested by people at the RAM clinics are dental, Cannon said, followed by vision and then medical care. People were asked to pick between vision and dental care in order for clinic volunteers to provide the most services to the most people during the two-day clinic.
Getting help at the RAM clinic
When people walked in one of the side doors of the Civic Center, they were met with registration tables. People seeking free care sat down to give their name and other information. Cannon remarked that it didn't even have to be their real names because no IDs are required to receive free services.
"We only ask for your patience," he said.
From there they went into a larger room for triage, for vitals to be taken and the medical professionals to find out the individuals' known medical conditions. Then they went to various parts of the building for the type of services they needed.
Operating along with RAM staff were many medical professionals volunteering their time and knowledge. Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge was the community host group for the RAM clinic, and its limited staff and volunteer medical professionals were there providing services as well. Free Medical Clinic committed more than $50,000 "to make sure all volunteers, partners and patients have all that is needed for quality care and a successful event," Executive Director Billy Edmonds said prior to the event. People involved with Free Medical Clinic also did the planning, training and coordination to make it possible, he said. If patients need follow-up care after the RAM Clinic, Free Medical Clinic can provide it.
Medical services at the RAM Clinic were provided in one of the Civic Center's clubrooms. Next door people were getting eye exams and in another clubroom, they were picking out new frames. Inside a boxed truck outside the Civic Center, Cannon said, personnel would grind the glass to fit the frames. People could get their new glasses in two hours, he said. For children and those with harder vision prescriptions, the glasses would be mailed to them.
At this clinic, audiology services were provided, which is unusual. That means a local professional was willing to provide the free services, Cannon said.
RAM's next clinic is this coming weekend in Byrdstown, Tennessee.
The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed. Support The Oak Ridger by subscribing. Offers available at https://subscribe.oakridger.com/offers.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Dental services main need at RAM clinic
