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Trinity Health Foundation of East Tennessee

Remote Area Medical

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Remote Area Medical

Remote Area Medical

Free Dental, Vision and Medical Clinic for Grainger County

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 90 million Americans over the age of 40 have vision and eye problems, and these can lead to many issues, including depression and isolation. Americans in need of dental care face similar issues. The CDC states, “Oral health affects our ability to speak, smile, eat, and show emotions. It also affects self-esteem, school performance, and attendance at work and school.”

Remote Area Medical (RAM) is dedicated to addressing the need for more accessible and affordable care. Each year, RAM operates mobile medical clinics that provide free dental, vision, and medical care to individuals on a first-come, first-served basis. In 2017, 17,126 RAM volunteers delivered $13,550,650 in free care to 42,072 individuals.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 data, 20% of Grainger County, Tennessee residents live in poverty and 13% of residents under the age of 65 do not have health insurance. RAM has not held a medical clinic in Grainger County since 1998, and RAM requests support from the Trinity Health Foundation to plan a 2019 Grainger County mobile medical clinic in partnership with the Grainger County Baptist Association. RAM expects that this clinic would treat at least 500 Grainger County residents and that re-establishing RAM’s presence in the community would raise awareness about RAM’s services and lead to financial and community supporters who could help sustain RAM clinics in Grainger County for years to come.