Remote Area Medical clinic looks to fill access gap
Remote Area Medical anticipates it will provide care to more than 300 people who would otherwise have limited access to dental, vision and other medical care at it’s upcoming Butler clinic.
The two-day clinic will be held at Butler Intermediate High School, 551 Fairground Hill Road, on Saturday, Nov. 8, and Sunday, Nov. 9. It does not require insurance or identification and is part of Remote Area Medical’s mission to reach those in need with limited access to health care.
“It’s bridging a gap no one else is bridging,” Lynn McKinnis, physical therapist for Concordia Visiting Nurses, said.
McKinnis is also the coordinator for bringing the clinic to Butler County.
Audra Fitzgerald, a senior clinic coordinator with Remote Area Medical, said the nonprofit organization was born out of the realization there are places all over the world that do not have ready access to medical care.
The goal, she said, is to bring access to those locations.
“There are health care deserts all over the United States, whether in the largest cities or rural areas, there can be lack of access to certain populations, cost barriers, even those with insurance sometimes can’t afford a co-pay or deductible,” Fitzgerald said.
“We’re not a solution to health care, we’re a Band-Aid,” she added. “But we are a Band-Aid.”
The clinic will have about 50 doctors present and roughly 200 volunteers.
Dental services will include cleanings, fillings and extractions; while vision services include eye exams in which patients will receive a prescription and glasses, as well as getting their eye health examined. For other medical care, Remote Area Medical will provide general exams and women's health exams, as well as sit/stand assessments.
McKinnis said she didn’t expect much turnout for the last clinic visit to Butler in 2023, but it ended up seeing 335 patients.
There was a real mix in patients, she said. Ages ranged from people under 18 years old to seniors.
“Teeth were filled. Holes were repaired, Services were free. Visuals, eyes were tested and people got glasses on the spot,” McKinnis said. “RAM even brings an array of really nice frames for glasses. It’s so much more than I expected, and unfortunately, it really is needed.”
The school’s parking lot will open at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, with doors to the clinic opening at 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The clinic is open to anyone in need, and operates on a first-come, first-served basis.
Remote Area Medical recommends that people who are interested in receiving care arrive early — dentures and vision lines tend to fill particularly fast. Average wait time is under two hours. People will be given tickets when they arrive and will wait in order.
There will also be a “resource row” available, with various organizations that help families and individuals in Butler, such as food banks and recovery services, in one hallway to give information for patients who need it.
“The most important thing to know is that people providing dental and optometry care are local, Butler providers, so we know the quality of care is excellent,” McKinnis said. “Dentists will do everything from extractions to fillings and cleanings. Vision providers will give full eye exams, dilating, give eye glass prescriptions.”
