Oak Ridge Today

Reminder: Free dental, vision, medical services this weekend

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A dental exam at a RAM clinic. (Photo courtesy Remote Area Medical (RAM))

Remote Area Medical (RAM)—a major nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics delivering free, quality dental, vision, and medical care to those in need—is having a free, two-day clinic in Oak Ridge this weekend.

The clinic is Saturday, February 18, and Sunday, February 19, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The clinic is in collaboration with the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge.

All RAM services are free, and no identification is required, a press release said. Free dental, vision, and medical services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

The patient parking lot was scheduled to be open no later than 11:59 p.m. (midnight) on Friday night, February 17, and remain open for the duration of the clinic, the press release said. Once in the parking lot, additional information regarding clinic-opening processes and next steps will be provided. Clinic doors open at 6 a.m.

Due to time constraints, patients should be prepared to choose between dental and vision services, the press release said.

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Free dental, vision, medical services in February

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Remote Area Medical (RAM)—a major nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics delivering free, quality dental, vision, and medical care to those in need—will have a free, two-day clinic in Oak Ridge in February.

The clinic is scheduled February 18-19 at the Oak Ridge Civic Center at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The clinic is in collaboration with the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge.

All RAM services are free, and no identification is required, a press release said. Free dental, vision, and medical services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

[Read more…]

Learn how to be a medical advocate on Friday

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Submitted

The public is invited to a program, “The Importance of Taking Charge: How to Be a Medical Advocate for Yourself and Others,” at noon on Friday, September 8, at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge.

Gay Marie Logsdon will speak from experience related to medical care within her family during the past 30-plus years, including dealing with major insurance agencies and receiving extended care after a head-on car wreck in October 2016.

A meet-and-greet session will be held at 11:30 a.m. before the presentation, in Room F-110 of the main (Coffey-McNally) building. The program is sponsored by Church Women United. All are welcome!

For more information, call (865) 483-7940.

This press release was submitted by Gay Marie Logsdon.

Free Medical Clinic’s fundraiser: Carolina Beach Bash on Saturday

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Michael and Lissie Beehan Free Medical Clinic Fundraiser 2016

Michael and Lissie Beehan practice their “celebrity” dance. (Submitted photo)

 

 A fundraiser for Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge on Saturday features auctions, music, dancing, and dinner

A brand new grandfather clock. An elegant condo surrounded by dozens of golf courses near Orlando, Florida, that’s available in October. A lovely condo on Crescent Beach in Florida. A Gatlinburg getaway, which includes a luxury cabin stay and event tickets.

An elegant tea for eight. A fine wine dinner for 26 in a garden setting and an Italian dinner for 20 at the Olde Towne Event Center in Oak Ridge.

A one-year membership at National Fitness, flowers for a year, and a signed and framed Ed Westcott photograph of Manhattan Project workers celebrating the end of World War II. [Read more…]

New patient appointments available at Free Medical Clinic

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Free Medical Clinic

The Free Medical Clinic now has appointment openings for new patients from Anderson, Morgan, and Roane counties.

To qualify for free medical care at the clinic, patients must live in one of the three counties, have no medical insurance of any kind (no private insurance, no TennCare, no Medicare), and have a household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The chart below shows the income criteria to be seen at FMC: [Read more…]

Battle of the bands helps Hospitality Houses at MMC

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Doc Rock Check Presentation

Local physician band Second Opinion donated $2,211 to Methodist’s Hospitality Houses, the band’s health charity of choice, when they competed at Doc Rock. Pictured from left are Sandra Jernigan, Knoxville Academy of Medicine Alliance member; John Jernigan, MD, Second Opinion drummer and retired otolaryngologist; Kim Maes, Hospitality House coordinator at Methodist Medical Center; and Ken Luckmann, MD, Second Opinion band member and retired gastroenterologist. (Photo submitted by Covenant Health)

 

Second Opinion, an Oak Ridge-based physician band, has donated $2,211 to the Hospitality Houses of Methodist Medical Center. The donation was from the band’s participation in Doc Rock for Health, an annual battle of the bands, which was hosted by the Knoxville Academy of Medicine Alliance at Knoxville’s Old City earlier this year.

On June 19, Kim Maes, coordinator of the Hospitality Houses, was presented with the check. The houses have been the band’s longtime charity of choice for the event. Their participation has helped raise more than $10,000 for the Hospitality Houses.

Methodist’s Hospitality Houses primarily provide free lodging to families and patients who travel to Methodist for cancer treatment, as well as other outpatients who require extended treatment. [Read more…]

Mapping a Difference: Roane State student charts Remote Area Medical services

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Chris Zerr

Chris Zerr

Roane State Community College Geographic Information Systems (GIS) student Chris Zerr said she has “loved maps since I was a little kid.”

“They’re like putting together a puzzle that has lots of pieces. Maps allow you to discover what’s there and what’s not there,” she said.

Maps that Zerr recently designed are helping people discover where they can find affordable and often much-needed medical care.

As an honors project for Roane State, Zerr focused on an organization that benefits thousands of people. Remote Area Medical, or RAM as most people know it, was established in 1985 by Stan Brock to provide basic medical care through mobile clinic events in underserved, isolated or impoverished communities. [Read more…]

Food, music at Taste of Oak Ridge to benefit Free Medical Clinic

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Taste of Oak Ridge

 

The format will be the same, but this year’s Taste of Oak Ridge will be held at the new Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Oak Ridge Turnpike—instead of in Jackson Square. It was moved because organizers weren’t sure when construction work might start on a revitalization project at Jackson Square.

Taste of Oak Ridge features food from Oak Ridge restaurants and performances by local musicians.

The sixth annual festival, scheduled from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, will raise money to benefit the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. The Free Medical Clinic provides free medical care to residents of Anderson, Roane, and Morgan counties who don’t have insurance and can’t afford to pay for care.

Area restaurants will showcase some of their finest food in small portions. The price range for the “tastes” from each vendor will be $1 to $4 per item. Tickets will be available for purchase at entrances to the event. Attendees can buy as many tickets as they want for $1 each. In addition, beer and wine will be available to buy.

This year’s Taste of Oak Ridge will be held in the parking lot of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at its new address at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike, north of the Joe L. Evins Federal Building. [Read more…]

Faith and Our Medical Community, Part 1: The Hospital Chaplain

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Several times I thought I saw the silhouette of angels moving around behind Chaplain Sills as I recently interviewed him in the Methodist Medical Center chapel. Reverend Jack Sills certainly needs angelic assistance in his role as the hospital chaplain here in Oak Ridge.

Just as you would expect, Chaplain Sills is a calm, gentle man who exudes kindness and understanding. This year, he will celebrate his 25th anniversary as the only full-time hospital chaplain Oak Ridge has ever had. He calls his role a “specialized form of ministry.”

Chaplain Sills describes his ministry as “the representative presence of the hospital’s belief that God is important in the care of patients, families, and staff.” He explained this to mean that the belief in God for human beings is important. His role in practical terms comes down to being a visible presence. Chaplain Sills continued: “Being present gives opportunity to others to discuss spiritual or emotional concerns without an agenda. I consider these to be holy moments.

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