An annual tradition of care in southern Virginia is off to a good start. The Wise County Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinic starts seeing patients this Friday. The University of Virginia Medical Center will provide assistance by sending an army of volunteers and equipment.
The three-day clinic in southwest Virginia is a one-stop shop, set up for the under insured and uninsured patients, providing a number of services. UVA's team of 240 volunteers hit the road for the clinic Wednesday morning.
Beau Gilmore is a second year medical student at UVA. He plans on using all the skills he's learned so far to help thousands of patients at the RAM Clinic in southwest Virginia. "I'm pumped could not be more excited," he said. Serving people who are under served is personal for Gilmore.
"I want to do medical mission long term, so this is a great opportunity to see a group of physicians coming together and try to provide equitable care to people," he stated.
UVA is one player in a major team effort, that brings volunteers and truck loads of medical supplies from across the country.
"We wish that we could just take the whole hospital with us," said Nurse Coordinator Audrey Snyder.
Instead, they are bringing a supply room with medications and lab equipment.
Snyder stated, "We have the ability to screen for glucose, we have lots of lab equipment, we'll be doing lots of lab tests, cardiac monitors."
Volunteers will treat patients for a number of medical issues, but for some the medicine is just having someone to talk to.
"Actually listen to them. So they give you a little bit of the perspective they've been going through," Gilmore explained.
Gilmore says he's ready to hit the ground running in Wise County. He's not nervous about seeing thousand of patients; he's going to take it one person at a time.
Some physicians and specialists see a lot of familiar faces during the three-day clinic. Some are actually patients at the medical center, but can't always make it to Charlottesville. This is one way they can check in with their doctor.
The RAM clinic will see a minimum of 2,500 people from southside and far west Virginia. The clinic opens Friday and runs through Sunday.
