The doctor is in on May 31 and June 1 with a partnership between Ferris State University and Remote Area Medical.
RAM is a national nonprofit organization that provides medical care to underserved and uninsured individuals.
RAM has partnered with Ferris State to operate a free medical, dental and vision care clinic in Big Rapids.
The collaboration between FSU and RAM is led by associate professor of nursing Becky Johnson Himes and nursing professor Stephanie Gustman.
RAM has hosted similar clinics in several states across the U.S., including Tennessee, Alabama, Illinois and now Michigan.
This event will be RAM’s first clinic in Michigan, with the intention to draw patients from across the region and state. Ferris students in the nursing, dental, optometry and pharmacy programs have been invited to volunteer with other medical professionals to aid patients in their area of study.
The university has extended the invitation to other students on campus to volunteer for the event.
P1 pharmacy student Elizabeth Markham explained that the opportunity to gain hands-on experience outside of an internship is a major advantage for students.
“It gives students a great experience to help people and get a feel for what your career may be like,” Markham said. “It would make me feel good to give that work for free, because our country is full of people who don’t have access to healthcare.”
Markham also added that volunteering with a free clinic outside of the hospital setting can provide students with different perspectives on the patients they work with.
Local businesses and government agencies have been encouraged to participate in the event to provide information and resources to individuals in need.
According to a press release provided by Communications Director Sandy Gholston, the clinic will be open to any adult or child on a first-come first-serve basis.
Patients will not need to provide proof of ID or insurance to take advantage of the services provided.
Organizers are also looking for general service volunteers in addition to the medical professional volunteers to assist in running the clinic efficiently, providing help with parking, patient registration, set-up, tear-down, serving food, and escorting patients between services.
Among the free healthcare services provided will be physicals, lab work for cholesterol, diabetic, chemistries, and blood lead testing.
Patients will also have the opportunity to receive free dental cleanings, fillings, extractions, and X-rays.
Eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, and eyeglasses will be available on-site in the mobile vision lab.
According to the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, Lake, Isabella, Clare, and Mecosta counties are among the top eight poverty-stricken counties within the State of Michigan. Access to professional healthcare in these areas can be limited and difficult to come by.
First-year radiology student Alivia Lis expressed the importance of offering free clinics to those in need.
“People are scared to to go the doctor, or the ER, or to even just call an ambulance nowadays, because it is so expensive,” Lis said. “Especially for people who don’t have insurance, for people who are homeless, free clinics would be amazing.”
Lis also explained that for many people in Mecosta County, a free clinic may be their one chance to see a primary care physician and address health concerns that would otherwise be left unresolved.
The clinic will be located at Ewigleben Sports Complex, at 210 Sports Drive.
Doors to the clinic will open at 6 a.m. and remain open until 6 p.m.
The partnership with RAM medical is expected to serve over 400 patients in the region and across the state receive needed medical care.