VCU Students and Faculty Dedicate Time and Expertise to Rural Virginians

By Cheryle Rodriguez

Students from VCU’s schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy joined together to provide free health care services to thousands of people, including some who had traveled hundreds of miles, at the annual Remote Area Medical clinic (RAM) in Wise County.

“Patients traveled from as far away as Florida and camped out in their vehicles for days to be able to receive the free medical assistance, with some having not been to a physician for over a decade,” said Stacy Hosenfeld, nursing student medical outreach chair.

The School of Pharmacy sent 12 students, two faculty members and two pharmacy residents to administer hemoglobin A1C testing (testing for diabetes) to approximately 250 patients. Thirty of those patients learned they had diabetes. 

“One of the great things about RAM is that patients have access to the entire health-care team,” said Evan Sisson, an associate professor and the pharmacy team leader. “For example, patients who were diagnosed with diabetes could be shuttled directly to internal medicine physicians to discuss treatment.”

Michelle Whitehurst-Cook, M.D., associate dean of admissions for the School of Medicine, traveled to the RAM clinic for the 12th year.  She and a group of five doctors, including a resident, four nurses, 11 medical students and two social workers provided care for approximately 230 patients.   

“It is tremendously rewarding to personally help those who do not have the financial means to help themselves,” Whitehurst-Cook said.  “The patients’ ‘thank yous’ are worth millions.”

Many of the patients also received dental care. This year, it was provided by more than 50 School of Dentistry students, including residents from the departments of Endodontics, Pediatric Dentistry and the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program. 

The School of Dentistry students work with the Mission of Mercy project that supports RAM by providing patients with cleanings, fillings, root canals and oral surgery.

“They really need our help in that region, as there is such limited access to health care,” said Cristina Cruz, assistant director of development communications in the School of Dentistry. “One patient, a mother of two little boys, told me that they have Medicaid, but they don’t have transportation to and from appointments.”

RAM is made up of volunteers who are dedicated to providing free health care and dental care to people in remote areas of the United States and the world.

The Wise County event began in 2000.