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If you have ever looked at our free clinic schedule and thought, “Why isn’t RAM’s free clinic near me?” You are not alone!
We are here to explain how Remote Area Medical (RAM®) “decides” where to hold our clinics, and why there may not be any near you — or at least not yet.
The schedule on our website shows where and when RAM’s next clinics will be. Right now, we have clinics from New Hampshire to Nevada, and plenty of places in between. Including lots of free mobile telehealth clinics in Tennessee.
With more than 200 expeditions planned for this year, hopefully we’re holding a clinic near you! We are adding new clinics year-round, so be sure to check back often to see if we’ve added a clinic close to you.
Why isn’t RAM’s Free Clinic Near Me?
There are a few reasons RAM may not have a clinic scheduled in your area.
First, RAM does not show up to an area without a formal invitation from local community members. Community Host Groups (CHGs) identify a need for RAM’s free dental, vision, and medical clinics in their area and help RAM plan a clinic.
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RAM has held free clinics in 43 states. If we have not been to your state, it is very possible that we just have not been invited to hold a clinic there. While we hope to make it to all 50 states one day, we are committed to making sure each of our scheduled clinics helps the most patients possible.
The second reason RAM may not be in your state is because of state legislation and regulations. Each state has different requirements for equipment and volunteers. If a state allows non-resident healthcare volunteers, we refer to this a “open state.” If the state does not allow healthcare professionals that aren’t residents, we call this a “closed state.”
Open vs. Closed States and Free Healthcare
It is easier for RAM to visit some states rather than others. For example, it’s easier for RAM to recruit volunteer healthcare professionals in Tennessee thanks to the Tennessee Volunteer Medical Services Act of 1995.
This legislation was championed by our late founder, Stan Brock. Tennessee is an “open state,” meaning they allow out-of-state healthcare professionals to volunteer to provide free care in Tennessee.
“Closed states” do not allow non-residents to practice medicine in their state. This makes it more difficult for RAM to recruit volunteers to serve patients at clinics. However, RAM will still hold clinics in these states, even if volunteer recruiting is more difficult.
The easier it is to bring volunteer healthcare providers to a state, the easier it is for RAM to hold clinics. If you would like to be part of the change to make it easier for volunteer healthcare providers to practice in your state, support organization that fight for access to free healthcare or write to your congressmen.
Bringing a Free Clinic to Your Area
If you have identified a need for free dental, vision, and medical care in your state and you would like to host a RAM Clinic, click here to learn more and see if hosting a clinic is right for you.
This process takes lots of dedication, about 12-18 months to plan, and a desire to serve your community.
If hosting a clinic is not what you are looking for right now, you can still get involved with RAM. We are always in need of volunteers. Whether you are a dental, vision, or medical professional, or a general support volunteer, you can make a difference in your community by volunteering with RAM.
Every dental, vision, and medical professional at a RAM Clinic is a volunteer, donating their time and expertise to serving our patients. Volunteers are the backbone of RAM’s mission, we would not be able to serve our patients without them.
Supporting RAM’s Mission
If you enjoyed reading this blog: Watch RAM’s TikTok video on this subject to learn more!
RAM receives all our funding through donations. Our generous donors, people like you, are what keep us going around the country. Every $1 donated provides a value of care worth about $2. If you would like to donate please click here.
Monthly donors make their impact go even further! Set your recurring donation once and you don’t have to worry about it anymore. Your donations each month automatically supports RAM’s mission.
You can also support RAM through the Walmart Spark Good Program, where you round up your Walmart purchases to the nearest dollar and the proceeds are donated directly to RAM!
Do you follow RAM on all our social media platforms? We are on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and X. Follow us to make sure you don’t miss anything from RAM! Did you see RAM’s recent viral TikTok video?
Each week there is a brand new blog post on RAM’s website, if you missed any of our previous posts, click here to catch up!
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Our schedule for our free dental, vision, and medical clinics can be found on our website. All of our clinics are free, no ID or insurance is required — ever!
