Free dental, vision and medical services coming to Knoxville this weekend
Remote Area Medical, a nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics delivering free dental, vision and medical care to those in need, will host a free, three-day clinic Friday through Sunday. No ID is required and patients will be served on a first-come, first-served basis, according to a press release from the nonprofit's spokesperson.
RAM was founded in 1985 by Stan Brock with a mission to provide free medical care in remote areas of developing countries, such as Guyana, Mexico and Haiti, the release stated.
Almost immediately, RAM began receiving requests to operate clinics in the United States, with the first American clinic held in 1992 in Sneedville, Tennessee. Today, more than 95 percent of all RAM operations take place domestically, according to the organization.
In order to treat as many people as possible, RAM recruits volunteers including licensed nurses, physician assistants, doctors, dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists, ophthalmologists, opticians and veterinarians. Since 1985, more than 182,000 volunteers have treated more than 888,500 people, delivering more than $181.5 million worth of free healthcare services.
Patients should arrive as early as possible and must choose between vision and dental services
The RAM clinic will be set up at the Jacob Building at 3301 E. Magnolia Ave. in Chilhowee Park. Doors open at 6 a.m. each day. The patient parking lot will open no later than 11:59 p.m. (midnight) on Thursday night, and remain open for the duration of the clinic. Patients should enter the parking lot via the Knoxville Zoo entrance off Prosser Road, Gate 1. Once in the parking lot, additional information regarding clinic-opening processes and next steps will be provided.
Due to time constraints, patients should be prepared to choose between dental and vision services.Medical services are free for every patient attending the clinic.
Services available include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental X-rays, eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, women's health exams and general medical exams. Vaccinations for COVID-19 and flu, both for adults and children, will be available. Second Harvest will give out food boxes at the clinic.
For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit ramusa.org or call 865-579-1530. Patientscan also visit the Facebook event for this clinic at fb.me/e/1COlFF5ZV for any updates. In some situations outside of RAM’s control, such as bad weather, volunteer cancellations or other circumstances, the parking lot may open earlier or a smaller number of patients may be served. RAM encourages everyone who would like services, especially dental services, to arrive as early as possible. Clinic closing time may vary based on each service area’s daily capacity.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville RAM clinic offers free medical, vision and dental care
