On the weekend of March 16-17, six Belmont graduate nursing students and two faculty members participated in a free mobile clinic held in Cookeville, Tennessee. The clinic was hosted by Remote Area Medical (RAM), a major nonprofit provider of free mobile clinics. Students and faculty provided triage, patient intake, primary care and even dental assisting. Overall, the clinic served 966 patients and provided $554,552 in services as calculated by RAM over the two days in Cookeville.
Associate Professor of Nursing Dr. Erin Shankel noted, “Working with RAM was a great place for our students to practice their clinical skills, but more than that, it opened their eyes to the healthcare needs in our own state. We were all humbled by the appreciation and warmth we felt from patients who had been waiting outside since 6 p.m. the night before just for the chance to be seen. You don’t have to go overseas to participate in medical missions!”
