More than 50 million Americans, one in six, are uninsured. And it’s organizations like Remote Area Medical that are helping to meet their medical needs.
Traveling across the country and internationally, the Remote Area Medical program provides free medical, dental, and vision services to uninsured and under-insured Americans. Founded by humanitarian Stan Brock in 1985, on July 20, they completed their 674th expedition in the small town of Wise, Virginia.
PHOTO GALLERY: Click Here to See the Photos
When Reuters’ photographer, Mark Makela, arrived to the scene at 3:30 a.m., 500 people had already lined up to receive care. By the end of the first day, an estimated 1,700 patients, traveling to the clinic from 14 different states, had been admitted. “It was extraordinary to see the gathering of such generosity with hundreds of health care professionals and volunteers donating their time and expertise to this worthy cause,” wrote Makela on Reuters’ Photographer Blog. “Realizing that there was an immense need for medical care and seeing that it was met by Remote Area Medical was uplifting. I felt privileged to have documented the day.”