Over 40 million Americans live in poverty or upwards of 14% of the population. Those living in extreme poverty number 18 million and over 5 million live in absolute poverty. The US also has the highest youth poverty rate among OECD countries. This reality is made worse by the fact the US is the only highly developed country in the world that lacks universal health care coverage. Despite passage of the ACA in 2010 that reduced the number of non-elderly uninsured from 44 million to 27 million by 2016, last week Gallup survey data indicated over the past four years seven million fewer Americans have health care insurance. This finding is not unsurprising considering the administration's ACA regulatory actions over the past two years. With a significant number of Americans impoverished and a recent decline in those covered, it is no surprise that Americans are forced to seek charity care.
During this 21 minute interview, Mr. Eastman explains why RAM was founded by Stan Brock in 1985, he describes RAM's upcoming clinic or "expedition" (RAM's 1,000th) this weekend in Knoxville. More specifically he provides an overview RAM's patient population, the types of medical care RAM provides and who provides RAM care. He also discusses how clinic sites are selected in the US and overseas and how the organization is funded. (Over the past 34 years, RAM has served over 785,000 patients, via the volunteer efforts of over 135,000 clinicians and other volunteers, providing an estimated $785 million in free health care.)
Jeff Eastman is currently the CEO or Remote Area Medical (RAM). Previously, he spent 28 years employed by Altria sales and distribution. He began volunteering with RAM in 2008 and in 2014 became a full-time employee. In 2015 he was voted RAM's first ever CEO. Jeff earned an Associate’s Degree from the State University of New York at Canton, a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and a Master’s of Business Administration from Lincoln Memorial University. Jeff lives in Athens, Tennessee with his wife, Debbie.
For more on RAM go to: https://www.ramusa.org/.
Remote Area Medical's Free Health Care Clinics: A Discussion with RAM CEO Jeff Eastman (January 31st)