The Remote Area Medical® (RAM) Volunteer Corps: Founder Stan Brock

60 Minutes, Sunday evening, March 2nd, 2008. Below is the story of how it got started by an amazing man named Stan Brock.

The vision for Remote Area Medical® developed in the Amazon rain forest where founder Stan Brock spent 15 years with the Wapishana Indians. He lived with the pain and suffering created by isolation from medical care. He witnessed the near devastation of whole tribes by what would have been simple or minor illnesses to more advanced cultures. When he left South America to co-star in the television series, “Wild Kingdom, ” he vowed to find a way to deliver basic medical aid to people in the world’s inaccessible regions.

The organization was founded in 1985 and years of research and planning yielded a vast, carefully developed network of men and women who have come together to make RAM a highly mobile, remarkably efficient relief force. Volunteers are doctors, nurses, technicians, and veterinarians who go on expeditions at their own expense and treat hundreds of patients a day under some of the worst conditions.

Volunteers have provided general medical, surgical, eye, dental, and veterinary care to tens of thousands of people and animals, with 60% of the expeditions serving rural America. There are plans for expansion of US expeditions, an airborne medical treatment center, a permanent clinic site in Guyana, and a program start-up in Africa.

On March 3 2004, the Senate at the state capitol in Nashville Tennessee passed a resolution honoring Remote Area Medical® for “Compassion and Dedication to providing medical care.”

Next Expedition

The next expedition will be at the Oakdale School in Oakdale, TN (Morgan County) on March 29-30, 2008. Directions and information can be foundhere.

Past Expedition

At the expedition on Jan. 5-6 in Knoxville TN, RAM brought 1343 free services to people. There were 504 eyeglasses provided, 1066 teeth extracted and 567 fillings done. There were 276 volunteers. The total value of free care was $235,497.00.

Swaziland Food Aid A new RAM project is the Swaziland Food Aid project. Click herefor details.

Few medical relief charities can compare with RAM in the scope of services offered, frequency of teams dispatched, and the variety of locations served. And the out-of-pocket cost to RAM averages less than $2 per patient!

Would you like to make a measurable difference in the lives of hundreds of impoverished people? Your charitable investment will go farther and work harder at Remote Area Medical® than just about anywhere else.

Please make checks or money orders payable to the Remote Area Medical Foundation. The Foundation is committed to developing and implementing RAM’s programs.Always, the aim is to help relieve suffering, cure disease, restore sight and enhance the lives of thousands of impoverished and isolated people and their animals every year. Over 90% of your contributions go to RAM programs and services to help people in need.

You may choose an area of special interest:

Total Program Support (Non-designated funds are always our greatest need!) The Rural AMerican Project RAM Veterinary Projects Guyana Women’s Health RAM Airborne RAM Air Ambulance

Remote Area Medical, Inc., and Remote Area Medical Foundation are 501(c)(3) publicly supported charities.

Remote Area Medical Foundation 1834 Beech Street Knoxville, TN 37920 865-579-1530

Or through Paypal:

Volunteers also are conducting projects to raise money for RAM. Synergy South Publishing, for example, has published Stan Brock’s book, All the Cowboys Were Indians, and author’s royalties are donated to the Remote Area Medical Foundation. Click Here for more information on the book.

For more information, please visitwww.ramusa.org

by RAM
The Remote Area Medical® (RAM) Volunteer Corps is a non-profit, volunteer, airborne relief corps dedicated to serving mankind by providing free health care, dental care, eye care, veterinary services, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world. Founded in 1985, Remote Area Medical® is a publicly supported all-volunteer charitable organization. Volunteer doctors, nurses, pilots, veterinarians and support workers participate in expeditions (at their own expense) in some of the world's most exciting places. Medical supplies, medicines, facilities and vehicles are donated.