Remote Area Medical’s FREE pop-up clinic offering dental, vision, and medical services is coming to Henderson for two days only this weekend, March 28-29. All services are free, no ID required and on a first-come, first-served basis, until capacity is reached. Sunday, clinic services are an abbreviated day.

Remote Area Medical (RAM®) is stepping in to address the urgent issue of uninsured or underinsured individuals and families by offering a free, comprehensive dental, vision, and medical clinic at Vance Charter School, located at 2090 Ross Mill Road, Henderson, NC 27537 for two days only this weekend, on March 28-29. This clinic will provide dental, vision, and medical care to those who might otherwise go without these essential services. This free RAM Clinic is hosted by Duke’s RAM Campus Chapter.

The Remote Area Medical pop-up clinic is scheduled to return to Henderson for a fifth consecutive year, providing medical, dental and vision care absolutely free of charge for anyone.

The two-day clinic takes place at Vance Charter School, 2090 Ross Mill Rd., on Saturday, Mar. 28 and Sunday, Mar. 29, and clinic co-leader Lara Kendall says many of the details are the same as for previous clinics. Because patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis, she recommends that folks arrive as early as they possibly can to make sure they can get the care they’re seeking.

The parking lot will open Friday, Mar. 27 at 11:59 p.m. The Saturday clinic begins at 6 a.m.

In addition to the more routine services like basic vital screenings and blood panels, patients can see doctors, nurses and physician assistants for other types of care. Dentists and hygienists will perform dental cleanings, fillings and extractions as well as other more complicated types of oral surgery.

And patients who come for vision services can come in, have their eyes examined and walk out with a brand-new pair of eyeglasses that were made right on the spot.

Granville-Vance Public Health is a strong partner for this year’s clinic, and Kendall said interpreters will be on hand again this year to assist with provider-patient communication.

Speaking on behalf of this year’s team of Duke students working to plan the clinic, Kendall said they are dedicated to the effort and truly care about everyone who participates, from the volunteer doctors, nurses and dentists and patients to the volunteers that help make the clinic run smoothly.

“We are so deeply grateful for the community of Henderson,” Kendall said. “We really do have the best intentions. We just want to make a difference and help people.”

Just more than 300 patients received services at last year’s clinic.

RAM’s clinics are a lifeline for underserved communities, offering free dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental X-rays, eye exams, eye health exams, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, and general medical exams. By bringing healthcare directly to those in need, RAM’s free clinics remove the barriers of cost and distance that often prevent people from seeking care.

No insurance or ID required, the clinic in Henderson is open to anyone in need. RAM encourages anyone who could benefit from these services to attend and receive the care they deserve. The parking lot will open no later than 11:59 p.m. (Midnight) on Friday night, March 27 and remain open for the duration of the clinic.

Once in the parking lot, patients will receive additional information regarding clinic processes and next steps. Clinic doors open at 6 a.m., and services are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, the clinic closes when capacity is reached. Sunday’s clinic operations will be an abbreviated day, so patients are advised to arrive as early as possible. Due to time constraints, patients should be prepared to choose between DENTAL and VISION services, and all patients are offered general medical care.

Kendall recalled to WIZS one of her favorite moments from last year’s clinic.

A little boy, who had just seen the dentist, came running out of the clinic, announcing happily to all around him that he could eat whatever he wanted. “I can chew it all as hard as I want,” she recalled the youngster saying.

For many, the RAM clinic is the way they get health care. They don’t have to show proof of insurance or even an ID card, Kendall said.

“It’s really heartening to know that the clinic we’re putting out there is serving its purpose,” she said, adding that it’s also “a little bit disheartening that the need is that great in the community.”

The RAM clinic provides a “Band-Aid solution” to the issue of having access to care in this area and across the country, she added.

Kendall, who grew up on Sanibel Island off the Florida coast, said she remembers having to go to the mainland for doctor or dentist visits. A series of bridges connects the island to Florida, and when hurricanes caused problems, they’d have to use fishing boats to ferry them back and forth.

People who lack access to quality health care can feel just as isolated as she did growing up on an island, and Kendall said her experiences have fueled her desire to help provide people the care they deserve.

Now a junior at Duke, Kendall said she aspires to go to medical school and work in disaster relief to provide medical services following hurricanes and other types of natural disasters.

Click Play!