The "60 Minutes" segment featuring the work of Remote Area Medical® (March 2, 2008) generated one of the greatest audience responses to the CBS news program in the ten years prior to its air date. Echoing throughout that response was an overwhelming national outcry for RAM's kind of help. Remote Area Medical® has received many requests to conduct RAM expeditions in other states, from as far away as Washington and California.

The first RAM expeditions held in California took place in 2009 and 2010 in Los Angeles, where upwards of 13,000 patients received nearly 30,000 vision, dental, and medical services. During the 2010 expedition, volunteers from Northern California expressed an interest in hosting the next RAM clinics in the state.

In 2011, California volunteers hosted two consecutive RAM expeditions in Sacramento and Oakland. These two RAM clinics provided 10,634 services to over 6,500 patients. While volunteers for these expeditions were able to secure legislative approval for out-of-state practitioners to volunteer and provide free services in the state, the CA licensure boards are still developing guidelines for implementing the legislation. Although the success of future RAM expeditions in California will likely require the ability to recruit volunteers nationwide, we are hopeful that those guidelines will be in place soon.

For more information about RAM California, please visit www.ram-ca.org,
or e-mail RAM California President, Pamela Congdon.