Remote Area Medical made its third trip to the Pahrump Valley this year, once again taking over the NyE Communities Coalition campus to host three days of free medical services for any and all who needed them.
Taking place Oct. 5-7, Remote Area Medical, or RAM as it is more commonly known, provided an opportunity for residents of Pahrump and the surrounding areas to receive no-cost health services including dental, vision, women’s health, mental health, chiropractic services, lab testing, nutrition consultations, general physicals and rapid HIV testing.
From counseling to screenings and exams of all sorts, the medical professionals who volunteered their time were able to have a big impact on the lives of those who attended the free event.
RAM made its debut in Pahrump in 2016 and was back for the third consecutive year, something that is highly unusual as this organization does not tend to return repeatedly to a particular area. However, the need for the free medical services offered at the first event was immediately apparent. In addition to this, the volunteers from the valley who step up each year to help organize the massive undertaking have provided a big incentive for RAM to return as well.
The 2018 endeavor started in the wee hours of the morning on Friday, October 5 with ticket distribution at 3 a.m. Each person seeking medical care was given a numbered ticket, which determined the order in which they would be signed in and seen by the health care volunteers. The line for the event began forming long before 3 a.m., however, with some eager attendees showing up Thursday afternoon in order to ensure they would be at the front of the line. The doors to the clinic opened at 6 a.m. and the stream of attendees remained fairly steady throughout the weekend.
Bright and early on Saturday morning, RAM patients were already making their way into the building and things were busy by 7 a.m., with health care providers hard at work and non-medical professional volunteers providing assistance wherever they were needed. RAM Media Relations Specialist Robert Lambert was on site to provide an escort around the bustling event.
Lambert, who has been with RAM for just over a year, came all the way from Knoxville, Tennessee to help with the Pahrump clinic and was enthusiastic about the success of the event thus far. “Yesterday was amazing, we had just shy of 200 people,” Lambert said happily. “Today we have tons of dental people from UNLV and we’ve registered around 100 people this morning so far. It’s going great.”
By the numbers
After everything came to a conclusion on Sunday, event organizers were undoubtedly exhausted but also enjoying the satisfaction of seeing so much good work done in just a few days time. According to RAM Communications and Grants Manager Kaylen Mallard, a total of 452 unique patients received treatment over the three-day endeavor.
“For dental, we provided services to 278 patients, including three crowns, 64 hygiene treatments, 113 fillings, 85 extractions and 78 X-rays. For vision, we treated 211 patients, including 207 eye exams, and provided 192 prescription eyeglasses made on-site and 57 prescription glasses that will be created at RAM headquarters and mailed,” Mallard detailed. To put a financial figure on the amount of medical services rendered, RAM reported $222,685 in value of care at the 2018 Pahrump clinic.
“RAM was privileged to hold its third clinic in Pahrump, Nevada and provide care to more than 400 people,” RAM Chief Executive Officer Jeff Eastman stated when reached for comment. “RAM exists to prevent pain and alleviate suffering, and unfortunately there are far too many of our neighbors who need access to dental, vision or medical services. You can help us treat more patients by volunteering with us or donating to us. Visit www.ramusa.org for more information.”
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com