After Long Push, Remote Area Medical is Coming to Manatee County

BRADENTON – At Tuesday's meeting, county commissioners were given a presentation by former Wild Kingdom co-host Stan Brock and Dr. Richard Conard, promoting a Remote Area Medical two-day event next month that will provide free medical care for those that can't afford it. Dentists, optometrists and other medical professionals will attend to the medical needs of the needy on a first come, first served basis.

In less than 24 hours, Remote Area Medical (RAM) Volunteer Corps can turn fairgrounds, schools, jungles and arenas into mobile medical centers. Brock, Founder and President of RAM, established the non-profit in 1985, after he returned from Guyana, South America where he was living among the Wapishana Indians. After experiencing an injury there, he was informed that the nearest medical care was a 26-day journey away.

When Brock left Guyana, he vowed to find a way to deliver basic medical aid to people in the world's inaccessible regions. Brock found for many reasons there were people around the world without access to medical care; including many right here in the United States.

RAM is now an international network of mobile clinics that reach deep into isolated and impoverished areas around the globe, with a growing U.S. affiliate network.

RAM's Guyana Air Ambulance program has saved thousands of lives and its aviation, mobile units, network of volunteers, and donors provide disaster relief where needed. Their aid units often stay after other relief organizations move on to supply dental care and eyeglasses.

Organizers have no idea how many people will show up for the Manatee County event, though some RAM weekend clinics have drawn over 6,000 with not all attendees getting to be seen before time runs out. RAM is working with Mickey Presha and Manatee County Rural Health Services, who Conard said is providing additional staff to help with the overflow during the clinic.

Conard says that two anonymous donors and a large group of sponsors and partners have raised $75,000 to fund the event, but that they still need $12,000 to fund the budget that's been set and they still anticipate a need for more medical staff on volunteers on site. Medical professionals and others who would like to volunteer are asked to go to ramusa.org to sign up. Anyone wishing to donate to the cause can send a check to Remote Area Medical, Box 1988, Palmetto, FL 34220.

Glen Gibellina, a local activist who frequently attends BOCC and Manatee School Board meetings to offer public comment, was the one who first learned about RAM. Gibellina attended one of their events to see it for himself and left so excited that he came back to Manatee County and pushed for it to be undertaken here. Having little luck, he enlisted the help on Conard, a retired local physician who is also deeply involved with local activism. The two worked tirelessly to overcome a litany of obstacles and pave the way for the clinic to be staged.

The November clinic will be the first time RAM has been allowed to provide their services to a community in the state of Florida. RAM got an exception from the law that prevents doctors not licensed in the state from practicing here.

The free healthcare clinic for adults and children takes place November 21-22 at the Manatee Technical College at 6305 State Road 70 East in Bradenton. For information, call 941-526-4766.