Henderson, Tennessee — (March 20, 2024) — Freed-Hardeman University’s chapter of Remote Area Medical (RAM®) provided 458 patients in need with free dental care during a pop-up clinic at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry during Meharry Oral Health Day in early March. Twenty-one student volunteers helped to provide an estimated $127,532 in services at the one-day clinic in Nashville, Tennessee.
The pop-up clinic set a record for the FHU RAM chapter for the most patients served in a single day. Members of the FHU chapter who attended include: Isaac Amar, Anna Jacobs, Lily Simpson, Addie O’Brian, Dylan Totty, Ben Wade, Matthew Goodin, Emma Guin, Asa Jopson, Ava Cox, Ella Embry, Emily Seibel, Jadyn Allen, Jeanne Seibel, Logan Summers, Luke Sullivan, Maddie Sullivan, Miriam Gallagher, Nina Thompson, Matthew Kuhl and Dan Chang.
Chang, who is the RAM chapter president at FHU, said the Church of Christ in Green Hills, Charlotte Heights Church of Christ, Cameron Miller, and Jackson Stephens helped make the clinic possible. Miller, an FHU alumnus and admissions counselor, chaperoned the trip to Nashville and praised the students’ work. “By going on the trip, the students showed great maturity. Many of them passed up club retreats to serve the community,” Miller said. “The RAM employees complimented their attitudes and work ethic. It was a great chance to show the quality of FHU’s spiritual and academic education.”
FHU sophomore Lily Simpson served as a Spanish translator while Dylan Totty, a junior, cleaned the dental tools at the clinic. “Many patients can feel intimidated or overwhelmed. I learned that no task is insignificant when helping fill a patient’s needs,”said Simpson, a pre-med biology major. Totty said volunteering with RAM provided the opportunity to gain a new experience.
“Most of all, I enjoyed the opportunity to help as many people as possible,” he said.
Pre-Health Arts Program Director and RAM chapter sponsor Wendy Gean said the chapter helps to shape Christ-focused mindsets and prepare individuals entering the medical field to have the skills needed to build strong patient relationships.
“After going to clinics in other cities and hosting one in Henderson, many of our students realize that help is needed everywhere, even in the backyard of Freed-Hardeman,” Gean said. “After seeing the lines of people waiting to get help and the tears from patients, who received treatment that was not affordable, our students were changed. This change can bring about a lifelong passion to help others and live out the service.”
FHU’s RAM chapter began in the fall of 2021 after alumni Cameron Kuhl spent his summer working with the organization. The chapter has volunteered at multiple clinics since its founding, and even organized a pop-up clinic in Henderson, Tennessee.
The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations in Henderson and Memphis, FHU offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees.
About RAM
RAM is a major nonprofit provider of free pop-up clinics. Its mission is to prevent pain and alleviate suffering by providing free, quality healthcare to those in need. RAM delivers free dental, vision and medical services to underserved and uninsured individuals. Since RAM was founded in 1985, nearly 183,000 volunteers have treated more than 888,500 individuals and delivered more than $181.5 million worth of free healthcare services.