Remote Area Medical Clinic - Reflections from RC Somerset Pulaski County Club President Lisa Mullins

from an email to club members from President Lisa Mullins ...

Hello all,

Pictured left to right: Gene Palmer (RC Somerset), Steve Hieronymous,
Coordinator,  (RC Somerset-Pulaski County), District Governor
John Adams (RC Somerset-Pulaski County), Lisa Mullins, President
RC Somerset-Pulaski County, Glenda Hamilton, Secretary RC
Somerset-Pulaski County, Sue Guffey (RC Somerset), and
Pamela Jensen-Stanley, Past President RC Somerset-Pulaski County

Thanks to all your hard work the RAM clinic was a huge success. We saw 681 patients and provided 1231 services valued at $299,529! 841 teeth were pulled and they are in a bucket in Christie’s car, don’t ask her to give you a ride anywhere until after she delivers them back to UofL! Some 380 pairs of glasses were made on site by the vision crew and countless medical services provided by the doctors and nurses.

We had 454 volunteers, all WELL FED by Mete and his crew along with the PC lunch staff. On Saturday evening we were treated to a fish fry by the Knights of Columbus who prepared the dinner in honor of Jack Ford {note: a beloved member of RC Somerset Pulaski County who passed away earlier this year}, not a dry eye in the house.

 I’m simply amazed by how much was done in such a short span of time.

On Friday, we launched on the scene and set up 75 dental chairs, I do mean, we took them out of bags and assembled. To my knowledge, no one fell to the floor because I didn’t put the chair together correctly! We unloaded and set up approximately 100 folding tables and over 200 chairs! When we arrived at approximately noon, there were already several patients waiting, the first arrived at 7:30 a.m. As we worked through the evening, unloading the semi truck of supplies and assembling the dental clinic, more patients continued to arrive. When I left at about 11pm, I counted 250 patients waiting patiently in line to get their number. I encountered entire families from all over; I was touched by their gratefulness.

At 4 am on Saturday when I arrived back at the scene, I found that close to 300 people were waiting for the doors to open. We lined up patient registration, 30 volunteers with open chairs waiting to see who would come to be registered.

When we wrapped up Saturday’s clinic, several patients were already waiting for the doors to open for Sunday’s clinic. When I arrived back on Sunday morning, 96 people were outside waiting to come in. By just after noon the clinic started to be taken down and with the help of so many, it was packed back onto the trucks and the school in order (I hope) by 4pm. We had the constant help of the schools custodian, Sharlene Brock and her companion in the lunch room.

As one of the first people the patients encountered I wanted to share that they were so thankful for what we were doing and I heard that throughout both days. If someone had coverage for a service they said “save that for someone else” if they had insurance but the family member they were with did not, they said “help him/her, I don’t need it.” I really felt like we served who we hoped we would. Okay, so I’m rambling now, and it’s probably that I’m still exhausted as you must be.

Anyway, thanks for your work; ...

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