More than 1,000 people are expected to receive dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglass production, women's health exams and medical exams. All services are delivered on a first-come, first-served basis. The clinic will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, and from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 15 at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. Entry numbers will be distributed at 3 a.m., three hours before the clinic begins. Patients can begin lining up for entry numbers at midnight, although many patients will form a line before midnight to ensure they receive a number.

 

The initiative is a part of the Remote Area Medical® (RAM) Oklahoma program, in conjunction with the Rural Health Network (RHN) of Oklahoma. The two organizations have a common goal of increasing access to quality health care for many underserved Oklahomans. Stacie Pace, RHN's Executive Director, worked collaboratively with the RAM organization to bring this program back to Oklahoma with help from local providers.

 

Two Southeastern facilities - Bloomer Sullivan Arena and Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium - located on N. First Avenue will serve as sites for the medical clinic. In 2014, a similar clinic was held in Oklahoma City that provided services to 1,000 individuals.

 

Medical professionals, volunteers, public donors, partners, and sponsors are combining forces for the Durant clinic. All providers are certified medical professionals, including, but not limited to:  dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists, opticians, nurse practitioners, physicians and physician assistants. Medical professionals are encouraged to join the event at ramusa.org or sign up at the volunteer entrance door before 6 a.m. on May 14-15, 2016.

 

RAM, founded in 1985 by British cowboy Stan Brock, initially served third-world countries. By 1995, RAM held 60 percent of its operations in the United States. Today, 90 percent of RAM's operations are held in the United States.

 

RHN of Oklahoma was formally established in 2008 through a Rural Health Network Development Grant awarded to Little Dixie Community Action Agency, Inc. RHN's purpose is to improve the health of rural Oklahoma by building a sustainable network of integrated services. This includes electronic health records and health information exchange consulting, creating county health improvement organizations, and educating health care practitioners and the community. RHN of Oklahoma is 100% supported through a Rural Health Network Development Program Grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with a total three-year grant amount of $900,000.

 

For more information or to volunteer, email Stacie Pace at stacie@rhnofoklahoma.org, call ( 405) 259-4824 , or visit ramusa.org.