Free medical clinic at Forum reached full capacity for second day
The free medical clinic at the Forum in Inglewood reached capacity again Wednesday, as hundreds camped out overnight to receive medical and dental care.
The organization also continues to put out the call for volunteers, including oral surgeons, dental and optical technicians.
Volunteers are asked to bring a valid medical or dental license, but all supplies are provided. Nonmedical volunteers are also need, according to the organization’s Twitter feed, including those who simply stand in line as placeholders for patients waiting for multiple services.
More than 2,000 sought services on the first day of the medical clinic -- and hundreds were turned away. People were lined up Tuesday night, hoping to get in. The MTA announced it was extending service of Line 115 because of "overwhelming demand" for rides to the clinic, which runs for eight days.
On Tuesday, procedures included 95 tooth extractions, 22 oral surgeries, 470 fillings, prescriptions for 140 eyeglasses, 45 mammograms, 43 HIV tests and 96 Pap smears.
The Remote Area Medical Foundation is a trailer-equipped service that has staged health clinics in rural parts of the United States, Mexico and South America. It brought its health camp to urban Los Angeles County on Tuesday to begin a stint that the group's officials described as its first foray into a major urban setting.
Organizers expected big crowds in a county with high unemployment and an estimated 22% of working-age adults lacking health insurance.
On Tuesday, the turnout was so large that hundreds had to be turned away.
"We're shorthanded," said the mobile clinic's founder, Stan Brock. About 100 dentists were needed, but only about 30 showed up Tuesday. Twenty eye doctors were required, but only about five were on hand, Brock said.
The mobile clinic, based in Knoxville, Tenn., has staged 576 medical clinics over the last 25 years. They have treated nearly 380,000 patients and provided care valued at $36.9 million, said Executive Director Karen Wilson. The group raises money through contributions.
Doctors, nurses and other medical workers who donated their time said most visitors' ailments were basic. But "many have chronic diseases -- high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma -- conditions we can't deal with in just one day," said Dr. Nancy Greep of Santa Monica. Some had problems, such as a recurring cancer, that demand long-term treatment.
--Kimi Yoshino
Photo: Dr. Kenneth Gould examines patient Aaron Rivero, 26, in an old locker room Tuesday during the Remote Area Medical clinic at the Forum in Inglewood. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times
This is the one of the main reasons we need to pass the OBAMA healthcare plan.
Posted by: tonie taylor | August 12, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Great coverage; for more info on the RAM•LA clinic please visit: http://ramclinic.info/
Posted by: Ray Thompson | August 12, 2009 at 01:43 PM
what I want to know is...How many of the people that showed up for free care were actualy americans?
Posted by: john | August 12, 2009 at 04:17 PM
I just wish to point out that Tennessee is the only state in the union that allows practitioners from other states to cross over into Tennessee from Georgia (for example) as I have done with RAM in the past as an RN. If a similar law were to be Federally mandated & passed, there would be no need to rely on California practitioners only to show up because volunteers from other states (dentists, eye doctors and physicians) could come to California (or any other state) and help pick up the slack. So please, contact your local politicians and see if they can't work on this aspect. I've been doing all I can in Georgia.
Posted by: Beverly Pruitt | August 13, 2009 at 01:36 PM
Unfortunately the RAM clinic at the forum in Inglewood, will no longer admit any new patients. There announcement reads "As of Thursday, August 13th, all members / wristbands have been disseminated for the duration of the event. RAM will no be able to treat any additional patients.
Posted by: Mel | August 14, 2009 at 04:11 AM
I'm kind of curious why there hasn't been any critical coverage of the planning and failures by Remote Area Medical (RAM) at the Forum. I've heard that percentage of children receiving care is about 4% and, oddly enough, that the number of homeless from along Skid Row who received care is even less, that the most vulnerable in society once again fell between the cracks.
Although notices were sent to most social service providers in the Skid Row area, the most shocking aspect is RAM's failure to take into account that there is a substantial population suffering from medical ailments, people who couldn't possibly sit outside. A perfect example of this can be found among those with HIV/AIDS who would be homeless if not for HUD's Shelter Plus Care Program.
The majority of this particular population doesn't even qualify for Medi-Cal and Medicare, yet RAM appears to have ignored this, not to mention the fact that that they failed to take into account the associated limitations, ranging from diarrhea to medication side effects.
Posted by: J.M. Dharmakara Boda | August 17, 2009 at 02:57 PM
Maybe you should quit looking for what RAM did wrong and look at all of the people that received help. Maybe YOU should have went out and told the homeless that the clinic was coming to town and they could come and get medical help. Maybe YOU should have come and volunteered and helped those who came 3000 miles across the country to work 14 hour days to help the less fortunate it your city. My wife and son did and I help on projects when I can. Get out and volunteer yourself. It's good for your attitude!
Posted by: David K | August 18, 2009 at 09:52 AM
Does California really need TN "organizers" to help us take care of our own? It was very clear that RAM organizers were not culturally prepared for LosAngeles urban outreach.
It's shameful that CA providers needed the "kick" to get us to do what we all said we wanted to do when we signed up for med or dent or nursing school.
Given a second chance, I think that we can do this BETTER than TN...up for the challenge CA docs?
Posted by: Concerned in CA | August 19, 2009 at 04:58 PM
Hello
I am dentist from Serbia, ex communist country and can not understand what really happens in USA.
America always hated the communist way of thinking sharply criticizing the communist system of living.
But now, American goverment treats own people on identical way.
The estabslishment of free medical and dental clinics is first step in "communisation" of country.
We had similar situation in time of Tito and Slobodan Milosevic.
There were "free clinics, free doctors, free medications".
Everywhere expensive Swiss medications could get for free in pharmacy on receipt. From that time it remains a very bad people's habit and opinion: doctors and dentists should work for free.
Today, private doctors have a serious problem: most of people dont'want going to them and pay them asking: "why I am paying social insurance". They still lived in communist past requesting medical and dental services should be for FREE.
For them, dentists and doctors are always EXPENSIVE, but HAIRDRESSERS never. .
It is big American mistake to make massive wave of social and free clinic. It is classical communist receipt for social peace in problematic crisis times.
Posted by: Dr Milosevic | August 20, 2009 at 05:06 PM
the article brought a smile to my face. nice to see people helping each other and providing the support that everybody needs. thanks for this.
Lee
http://www.trialinteractive.com
Posted by: Lee | September 08, 2009 at 12:33 PM