Patients Wait Overnight In Cookeville When A Medical Clinic Returns To Town

Hundreds of Tennesseans spent Friday night in the Cookeville High School parking lot. They were lined up to get into a free, traveling clinic this weekend, which for some has become a primary source of healthcare.

Like Erin Walker. She's been a patient before at the first-come, first-served event run by Remote Area Medical (RAM). The Crossville resident and her husband arrived at one a.m. to make sure they’d get in. There were already more than 350 people in front of them.

Walker is uninsured so she goes to RAM clinics whenever she can. Even just to accompany others. "I like sometimes coming and just walking around and hanging out with whoever’s coming because it’s just amazing," she says. "Everything about it is amazing."

The Walkers were among nearly 900 people who got free medical, dental or vision care — or all three — from volunteer medical professionals this weekend.

Read more: http://nashvillepublicradio.org/post/patients-wait-overnight-cookeville-when-medical-clinic-returns-town