ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio — The cost of healthcare continues to affect people around the country, which is why the remote area clinic is providing free healthcare to the Ashtabula community, an area that has a healthcare provider shortage.
Remote Area Medical has been visiting Ashtabula County since 2018. The two-day pop-up clinic has hundreds of medical professionals and volunteers from all over the country providing free medical, dental and vision services.
Watch our previous story on the last RAM Clinic to see first-hand what these clinics look like and what they offer:
Melissa Cunningham comes to the clinic every year for dental and vision; she has medical insurance through Veteran Affairs, but it doesn’t cover vision or dental.
Watch our previous coverage on what RAM's fifth year returning to Ashtabula looks like:
“This is a way for me to get glasses and that I can afford; if this clinic didn’t exist, I would have to wait four or five years to get new glasses because that’s when I would be able to afford them. Before I came here, I hadn’t gone to the dentist in 12 years,” said Cunningham.
Many patients have not been able to see a medical professional in years, resulting in health complications.
“We see lots and lots of diseases, and the beautiful thing about this clinic is that some of these patients have very high need. But this is a soft place to land, a lot of times they're hesitant to open their mouths to even have us check. However, we assure them they’re comfortable in this environment, “said Dr. Debra Balogh-Crombie.
Watch previous coverage on independent doctors in Ashtabula County in the player below:
Balogh-Crombie has been a dentist in Ashtabula County for 30 years; she said helping people has been rewarding.
“It's hard not to be moved and inspired by these people that come here giving themselves just to take care of someone else, it’s beyond words,” said Balogh-Crombie.
Cunningham says there aren’t a lot of options for medical professionals in the area, and a lot of working families in the county aren’t able to afford coverage or the co-pay.
“A lot of people are retiring, and we don't have people that are coming into these fields to help us here, and it's difficult to even get into an appointment. There's a lot of, we call it here, the working poor, they’re hard workers, but they're just at that threshold where they don't qualify for anything, because they make maybe $100 or $200 Too much,” said Cunningham.
Balogh-Crombie said the community host group plans to partner with Ram every year, providing these resources to patients as much as possible.
“Our intention is to grow this clinic bigger each year. We have already had patients come through that have said we were here last year, and this is the only outlet they have to get free dental, vision and medical care, “said Balogh-Crombie.
The clinic will open its doors for a second day, April 14, at Lakeside High School at 6 a.m.
