A free clinic organized by Remote Area Medical (RAM) at Takoma Academy treated 467 patients on October 17 and 18; most received dental and/or medical care, KFF Health News reported. RAM’s event listing said care was free and available without identification, insurance, or proof of income.
The clinic had no appointment system: RAM said service tickets were assigned by arrival time and patients had to remain on site to keep their place. The event listing said doors would open at 6 a.m., there would be no indoor waiting area beforehand, and patients would wait in the parking lot without heated or cooled shelter. In reporting republished by The Philadelphia Inquirer, KFF Health News reported that some attendees spent the night in their vehicles.
The event brought together more than 300 dental, medical, and vision professionals and members of the U.S. Public Health Service, according to the Inquirer’s account of KFF Health News reporting. KFF reported that 99 patients received vision exams and the clinic produced 152 pairs of glasses. It also reported that 30 dental treatment tents were set up in the gymnasium…