By MTN Reporter: Serena Vasudeva
Americans without insurance flocked to Cookeville High School last month to attend an affordable healthcare clinic.
The clinic was run by Remote Area Medical, a non-profit that provides free pop-up clinics with dental, medical and vision care. Cookeville has had a RAM clinic every March since 2016 with the exception of 2020.
Noah Sloam, a Clinic Coordinator with RAM, says patients drive from up to five hours away and show up the day before the clinic begins to secure medical care.
“They’re coming in for it looks a lot like dental today, whether that’s going to be cleanings, fillings or extractions, those are the services that we provide in dental. It feels like there is a great need here,” Sloam said.
RAM clinics work by sourcing volunteer doctors and dentists. Among the volunteers was Tony Diprato, a senior nursing student at Capital Community College in Connecticut. As he talked with patients, he noticed a trend.
“People who work full time aren’t making enough money to afford insurance but they make too much to get any state aid, so they’re kind of pigeonholed with the kind of health care they can get.”
Lora Smith of Crossville traveled to Cookeville the night before the clinic and slept in her car with her family. She was in the 93rd car to arrive. Even though she has dental and health insurance through her children, she has been without vision insurance for 10 years. Smith’s job requires her to have glasses.
“I have to sit right up against my computer when I’m typing just so I can see what I’m typing,” Smith said.
Smith brought her mother, Bobbie Bradley, to the clinic with her. Last year, Bradley was in a car accident. Her airbags were faulty and exploded, shattering all of her front teeth. She’s been left without dental care since.
“Aspen dental quoted me 6,200 dollars to get all my teeth pulled and dentures. There’s no way someone in a low income family could afford that,” She said.
RAM pulled what remained of her damaged bottom teeth. She hopes to get dentures through the program.
“This was a god sent to me to be able to get this done. I was in severe pain all the time,” She said.
Melody Coyle is uninsured and has come to the RAM clinic for three years. Her first time, the clinic found cervical cancer and paid for it to be surgically removed.
“It’s a really good program that helps people who otherwise wouldn’t even think to get help,” she said.