Free medical clinic to return to Bradenton in 2016

MANATEE -- Palmetto dentist Dr. J. Scott Maloney said he won't soon forget the 36 patients he saw during Saturday and Sunday's first free Remote Area Medical clinic at Manatee Technical College.

"Teeth with abscesses, broken-off teeth, people living with pain until they could get help somewhere," Maloney said Monday. "To a person, they all shook my hand when I was done with them and thanked me for my volunteer service."

Maloney and hundreds of volunteer medical professionals treated 1,457 adults and 161 children at the first RAM clinic in Manatee County. It was the first such clinic in the state, RAM volunteer Chairwoman Lori Dengler reported Monday.

The clinic has committed to return next year for three days, Nov. 11-13, said RAM event Chairman Dr. Richard Conard.

"This was the first event ever of this magnitude put on in the state of Florida and I think it went very well," Conard said Monday. "We have received tremendous feedback from the health care professionals and the patients."

There were no serious incidents or arrests by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Conard said.

"Sheriff's deputies directed everything outside and there wasn't so much as a ripple," Conard added.

Stan Brock, RAM founder, confirmed the medical event will return.

"Oh, you bet," Brock said. "You can be assured we are planning to come back to Florida this coming year."

"It was quite a memorable event," Brock added. "It really was the first RAM event after many years of trying to provide care in Florida,"

Brock said he was surprised by the number of children RAM treated.

"It is interesting that roughly 13 percent of the patients we treated in Bradenton were children," Brock said. "Historically, for the past 10 years, the percentage is usually 3 percent children. But then, a couple of weeks ago, we saw 2,000 patients in Nevada and 17 percent were children. Obviously, in Nevada and Florida, some kids are falling through the cracks. It was good to see we could make glasses for these kids."

Official numbers:

1,054 dental procedures.

467 pairs of eyeglasses made and distributed.

501 general medical exams.

84 pap smears performed.

150 mammograms performed.

312 adults and 50 children received flu shots.

500 people attended a nonsmoking class.

161 pediatric medical exams were performed.

A volunteer's story

Volunteer nurse practitioner Erica Humbert wrote a thank you note to Dengler, telling her volunteering was a "life-changing day."

Humbert was so moved she wrote a full report about her experiences, which she posted on Facebook: "Some of these patients had been waiting all night in their cars in the parking lot for a chance to be seen,

"Providers were packed along cafeteria tables with patients sitting side by side working as quickly and efficiently as we could.

"Some patients cried as they told me about their depression or anxiety, or about their pain or their difficulty finding work and help.

"All of them were patient and kind and grateful. I did what I could.

"I prescribed antibiotics, anti-depressants and blood-pressure medications.

"I gave out vouchers donated by a local medical practice, good for one free medical appointment.

"I did physical exams and breast exams and handed out vouchers for a free mammogram at a local imaging center.

"One patient who came to me spoke only Portuguese. His wife and child were with him, his wife translating for him.

"He was sent to me because at check-in his blood pressure was high. As I did his physical exam, I chatted with his wife.

"When I looked into his ear I nearly jumped when I saw his ear drum. It was blood red and coated with green mucus. It was the worst ear infection I'd ever seen.

"'Does your ear hurt?' I asked.

:Through his wife, he answered: 'Yes, it has been hurting for a year.'

"I was able to hand over some donated antibiotics. With no way to afford seeing a medical provider, this man had suffered so long with something that was so easily treatable.

"He'd lived with this pain for so long, he almost didn't mention it. I'll never forget this man or his family."

Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Free medical clinic to return to Bradenton in 2016 ."