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In 2024 Remote Area Medical (RAM®) expanded our fleet of vehicles with our first fully electric unit, a Tesla Cybertruck. Helping us bring free care to our telehealth patients across Tennessee. This vehicle — D5 as we call it — will help RAM bring free telehealth access to even more remote areas.
Free Telehealth in Knoxville, Tennessee
On July 16, 2025, D5 had it’s first official clinic. RAM’s Telehealth Team brought D5 to the Salvation Army off Broadway in Knoxville, Tennessee. The clinic served 23 patients throughout the day.
One patient from this clinic, Scotty (above), has been to many of RAM’s free clinics. Both our mobile telehealth and our pop-up free clinics. He has been coming to our clinics for so long because he knows he is going to get the healthcare he needs but cannot afford.
“This is one of the best services. I don’t know what I would have done if they hadn’t had been around,” said Scotty.
Scotty has seen telehealth volunteer physician, Dr. Paul Hart, at RAM Clinics before, and continues coming back for care. He has seen Dr. Hart for sinus infections, upper respiratory infections, wound infections, rashes, and more.
“Well, I had a problem, I came in and he [Dr. Hart] took care of it,” Scotty said. “Dr. Hart is really, really good. He listens and then he prescribes . . . all the people over there [at mobile telehealth clinics] love him, you know.”
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Scotty was one of the first patients to receive care from RAM’s newest mobile telehealth unit. Thanks to the versatility of the unit, Scotty did not have to travel far to receive the care he needed.
D5 — RAM’s Newest Telehealth Vehicle
Before the clinic, the Cybertruck is packed with all the equipment RAM needs to serve patients. A tent, tables, a portable air conditioner, computers, medical supplies and more are all carried to the clinic location in the trunk of D5.
Once the tent and all the clinic equipment is set up, extension cords are run from D5 to the tent to power the computers connecting patients to their volunteer provider, the air conditioner, and anything else that is needed to make the clinic a success.
“The Cybertruck gives us fully autonomous, self-sufficient power to power all of our electronics and a small air conditioner for the exam tent.” Telehealth Manager Stephan Blackstock said.
This particular setup creates a single exam room – with the capability of setting up multiple exam rooms – where patients can speak to an in-person nurse and speak with the doctor virtually for a consultation. A single-room setup would allow RAM to see approximately 25-30 patients a day, according to Blackstock.
Thanks to the Cybertruck’s battery, RAM will be able to run the telehealth clinics for two or three days on one charge.
“I just continue to be impressed by the battery capacity,” Blackstock said.
D5 is equipped with Starlink internet, allowing RAM to connect with doctors across the U.S., even in areas where internet access may not have been available otherwise. The size of the Cybertruck will also allow us to get to more remote locations. It is the smallest telehealth unit in our fleet, allowing it to get to places where other, larger units are not able to go.
RAM’s Telehealth Program has already served more patients in the first seven months of 2025 than we did in all of 2024. We are excited to continue bringing care to telehealth patients across the state. As our Telehealth Program continues to grow, we look forward to seeing how we are able to continue serving patients.
RAM is Always Looking For Innovative Ways to Provide Care
Stan Brock, RAM’s visionary founder, always had an eye on the future of healthcare access. In fact, at a 2018 conference in Chicago, Stan was photographed sitting in the driver’s seat of a Tesla Model X, remarking that this was the future of transportation.
His enthusiasm for innovation was also evident when he oversaw the first-ever FAA-approved drone delivery of medicine at RAM’s Wise County, Virginia clinic in 2015. This pioneering spirit continues to inspire RAM’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to break down barriers and deliver care to those in need.
Read to learn more about our telehealth team. Learn more about what they do and how they are working to remove distance as a barrier to receiving quality healthcare.
Learn More About RAM
RAM is able to care for patients at our free clinics thanks to the continued support from donors like you. Your donations support our free telehealth and pop-up clinics. We hope that you will consider becoming a monthly donor with us. Help us continue to bring free, quality healthcare to those in need.
Are you a healthcare professional who would like to get involved with our telehealth program or our pop-up clinics? We encourage you to visit our volunteer page, learn more, and join us at one of our upcoming clinics. Not a healthcare professional? That’s okay; we always need general support volunteers at our clinics. Volunteer with us and see the impact you are able to make in your community.
If you enjoyed this blog post, we think you’d enjoy our others too! Be sure to check back next week to see what’s new on our blog. You also won’t want to miss our latest magazine, download and read it today!
Check our clinic schedule to see when RAM’s next free clinic will be near you!
Did you know that RAM is hosting our first-ever telethon this summer? It’s true! On July 29, 2025, from 2-10 P.M. (EST) we will be live on our social media platforms. We will be sharing exclusive content, hearing from some of RAM’s biggest supporters, and doing prize drawings every hour. You don’t want to miss this event, be sure to sign up for notifications, and learn more on our website.
