RAM’s free clinics full of needy patients, but slowed by red tape

Each weekend across the United States, thousands line up before dawn for free medical care at pop-up clinics, but a patchwork of state laws is preventing volunteer doctors from helping as many people as they could.

Despite those constraints, Remote Area Medical (RAM) makes life-changing differences each week.

At a recent clinic, Dave Burge raised a hand-held mirror and took in his reflection, smiling. His teeth had been knocked out twice. First, he explained, they were damaged in a head-on crash caused by a drunk driver. After two years of rehabilitation, he returned to his construction job. But when his drill struck rebar, the recoil snapped back into his mouth, breaking his teeth all over again.

Now, seated in a dental chair, Burge got his first look at a new set of dentures, created and fitted by RAM. They transformed not just his appearance, but his confidence. “It’s amazing,” he said.

Moments later, he put it more simply: “That gave me my life back.”

Burge is one of thousands of patients served by RAM, a volunteer-run charity providing free medical, dental, and vision care to underserved communities across the United States. About half of the patients have no insurance. The rest have insurance they can’t afford to use because of co-pays and deductibles.

This week, 60 Minutes revisits the organization, nearly two decades after first highlighting its work. Correspondent Scott Pelley first reported on RAM in 2008, when the group operated about a dozen pop-up clinics each year.

The response to that broadcast was immediate and overwhelming: $4 million in donations poured in, and thousands of volunteers signed up. Today, RAM hosts roughly 90 clinics annually.

The organization was founded in the 1980s by Stan Brock, an English-born adventurer who originally set out to deliver medical care to remote regions of South America. But Brock soon realized that a different kind of isolation existed much closer to home: millions of Americans without access to affordable health care.

RAM’s mission shifted accordingly, bringing free clinics to communities across the country. These events operate on a simple principle: treat anyone who shows up, no questions asked.

Yet despite the organization’s growth, some things haven’t changed. At a recent clinic in Knoxville, Pelley observed long lines forming before dawn as patients waited in a parking lot for dental work, eye exams, or basic medical care. Over the course of that clinic, RAM treated 1,200 patients.

At other events, RAM’s compassion is impeded by red tape. 

A major obstacle is the patchwork of state licensing laws governing medical professionals. In many states, doctors and dentists cannot cross state lines to volunteer unless they hold a local license, even for short-term, charitable work.

Brock himself highlighted the issue years ago, noting the difficulty of recruiting enough providers locally. His advocacy helped inspire Tennessee’s Volunteer Health Care Services Act of 1995, which allows out-of-state clinicians to volunteer in the state. Several other states have adopted similar policies, but restrictions remain widespread.

Today, RAM is led by CEO Chris Hall, who says those limitations continue to hinder the organization’s reach.

“Medical providers train for years all across state lines,” Hall explained. “But when it comes to licensing, they get licensed in one state. And there’s red tape that prevents them from crossing state lines to provide free care.”

At one recent clinic in Tennessee, volunteers traveled from across the country — including New Jersey, New York, Louisiana, and Washington — to help meet demand. Among them was dentist Glen Goldstein, who expressed frustration at being unable to volunteer in nearby states due to licensing barriers.

“What I do in New Jersey is the same thing I do in Tennessee or California,” Goldstein said.

“There are doctors willing to give their time, and they’re restricted by a state license.”

Goldstein and others are advocating for a nationwide solution: federal legislation that would allow medical professionals to volunteer freely across all 50 states. The idea is similar to international humanitarian models like Doctors Without Borders.

Hall noted that in Tennessee, RAM is able to treat nearly three times as many patients as it can in states with more restrictive laws. He believes that easing these regulations would significantly expand access to care. “I think you would see an outpouring of providers,” he said, “and more people getting treatment day in and day out.”

Hall also emphasized that a national policy change would make these events easier to organize, reducing the time, cost, and administrative burden required to get approvals.

For now, the need for RAM’s clinics remains urgent and growing. Brock once told Pelley he hoped RAM would eventually “work itself out of a job.” But nearly 20 years later, that goal feels distant.

Still, for patients like Sandra Tallent, the clinics are nothing short of life-changing. Like Burge, she was fitted for a new pair of dentures at a recent clinic. She had driven 200 miles and spent two nights in her car to make sure RAM could see her.

After she held up the mirror to study her new smile, Pelley asked her what the moment meant to her. “I’m just really thankful,” she replied. “I don’t know what I’d do. You know, the Lord would make a way. But I feel like He has made a way through RAM.”