Remote Area Medical to provide free medical, dental care in Lake Charles
Published 2:24 am Saturday, September 15, 2018
RAM still seeking volunteer vision & dental professionals to treat people in need.
To The Leader
ROCKFORD, TN – Remote Area Medical- RAM® — a major non-profit provider of mobile medical clinics delivering free, high-quality, dental, vision and medical care to underserved and uninsured individuals—is coming to Lake Charles, Louisiana. Services available at the RAM clinic include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental x-rays, eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, women’s health exams, and general medical exams. All RAM services are FREE, and no ID is required.
Patient parking for the Lake Charles RAM clinic will be located at Lake Charles Civic Center, 401 Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70601. The clinic parking lot will open no later than 12 a.m. midnight on Saturday, September 15. Ticket distribution begins at 3 a.m., and patients will be seen in chronological order according to their ticket number when clinic doors open at 6 a.m. This process will repeat on Sunday, September 16.
According to U.S. census data, the poverty rate in Lake Charles is 23.7%, which far exceeds the national average of 12.7%. Additionally, nearly one out of every five people under the age of 65 lack health insurance coverage. Because of these factors, RAM expects to treat more than 500 people from Lake Charles and surrounding communities during the two-day clinic.
“There are countless people in Louisiana who are suffering. Deep poverty is still persistent in many communities, and thousands of people have to choose between paying for basic life necessities and paying for healthcare. Sadly, this is what we see time and time again,” says Stan Brock, founder, and president of Remote Area Medical.
RAM is still in need of additional vision and dental professionals to volunteer their time and skills in Lake Charles. Due to licensing laws, all professional volunteers must have an active license in the state of Louisiana. For more information about volunteering at a RAM mobile medical clinic, please visit www.ramusa.org or call 865-579-1530.