Patients start lining up for free health care at Manatee RAM clinic a day early
MANATEE -- Gail Robinson hurt her back in 2011 and lost her job as a restaurant manager. The 59-year-old Sarasota woman hasn't had a dentist appointment in eight years, and has trouble eating and smiling because she hasn't been able to find affordable care.
That changes on Saturday.
Robinson arrived at Manatee Technical College at 8 a.m. Friday, nearly a full day before the Remote Area Medical clinic was set to begin. She was one of the first in line waiting to receive a ticket beginning at 3 a.m. Saturday for services. The free health care clinic officially starts treating patients at 6 a.m. and offers medical, vision and dental services.
And for patients such as Robinson, it isn't just a doctor's appointment. It's a chance to change their lives.
"I feel like I'm going to be able to live better. And regardless of the outcome, and whatever benefits I can get, I'm very, very happy," Robinson said. "It almost brings me to tears, because very seldom do you have an opportunity to come and get help, any medical help, and there's a lot of people that really, really need it."
Hundreds of volunteers arrived Friday to set up the clinic at MTC. They unloaded boxes, set up equipment and packed lunches for the thousands of people expected to flood the campus on Saturday and Sunday. Hundreds of pieces of medical equipment dotted the floor, including two portable X-ray machines.
"It's organized chaos," Lori Dengler, RAM's Florida chairwoman of volunteers, said with a laugh.
A total of 800 volunteers, including medical personnel, assistants and those helping with unloading and organization, will work the event over the weekend. Dengler said it's hard to predict how many people will be there since this is the first time a clinic like this has occurred in Manatee County, but they believe it will be about 1,000 per day.
The Salvation Army packed 3,000 brown paper bags with apples, granola bars and chips Friday morning so people would have food while they wait for appointments. Volunteers will also cook and pass out hot dogs on Saturday and Sunday, as well as coffee and water.
"They (RAM officials) came to us a couple of months ago and said they were really concerned because many of these people would be in line for several hours, and they wanted to make sure that they had access to adequate food," said Christine Smith, director of community relations and development at Salvation Army. "So they asked if we would come and bring our mobile canteen and feed the masses, so that's exactly what we're doing."
The event isn't just helping those in need of health care, but also local students in the area. Amy Congilaro, a student in the medical assisting program at MTC's east campus, said assisting doctors with patients over the weekend will be a new experience that she wouldn't normally get as a first-year student.
"I'm hoping to help out with the vision tomorrow and help people get their eyesight checked, if they need glasses but can't afford it or maybe don't have any insurance," Congilaro said. "I'm hoping to help out in that manner."
Some medical officials oversaw the setup, helping where they could and otherwise surveying the work before their two days in the spotlight. Dr. Steven Tinsworth, an orthodontist who has served Bradenton for the past 30 years, said it reminded him of a medical mission trip, except it was right in his backyard.
"You can go home, have a nice meal and sleep in your own bed," Tinsworth said. "Yet you can give back to people who really, really need help."
Extended periods without health care can generally cause a lot of problems, Tinsworth said. Dental issues that are left unaddressed can lead to serious health issues and can even be fatal.
"There was a young man, 13 or 14, who came into an emergency room and had a severe facial infection," Tinsworth said, describing a story relayed to him during a recent conference in Washington, D.C. "It hadn't been taken care of, and the kid died within seven hours because the infection passed down through the tissues in and around his heart and killed him."
Tinsworth used to work with the Air Force and would see men who had been deployed for only a year, but would have severe dental issues because they didn't have access to proper oral hygiene.
RAM has done about 800 clinics since they started in 1991, and this is the second in Florida, according to Dengler. Despite the large numbers of people expected, the clinics typically go incredibly smoothly.
"It's very organized. RAM has a wonderfully laid-out plan and method of operation. They're very precise," Dengler said. "It's just incredible how many patients they can take care of, no questions asked, except, 'Where do you hurt?'"
Kate Irby, Herald online/political reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7055. You can follow her on Twitter@KateIrby
This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 9:22 PM with the headline "Patients start lining up for free health care at Manatee RAM clinic a day early ."