Thousands of Uninsured Americans Receive Free Health Care Services at Remote Area Medical (RAM) Expedition in Wise, Va.

^{Published on 2012-07-27 19:01:24 - Market Wire}
 

Thousands of Uninsured Americans Receive Free Health Care Services at Remote... -- VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., July 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

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"RAM is a living example of our values in action. We're creating a culture of service by providing real solutions to the people who need it the most."

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., July 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- [ Amerigroup Corporation ] (NYSE: [ AGP ]) Chairman and CEO [ Jim Carlson ], along with thirty employees, returned to Wise County, Va., last weekend for the second year in a row to volunteer at the 14th annual [ Remote Area Medical (RAM) Expedition ].

Nearly 2,500 uninsured and underinsured Americans from 19 states, mainly from the Appalachian region, turned out at the Wise County Fairgrounds for an opportunity to get free medical, dental and vision treatment. For many, this was their only chance all year to see a doctor, and some waited in line as long as 30 hours for their chance to receive much needed care.

More than 1,400 people volunteered at the three-day event, the largest free RAM clinic in the United States. This year's RAM event provided an estimated $2 million in free medical services, which are calculated at Medicaid rates for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The patients, most of whom needed multiple services, received everything from dental cleanings, check-ups and fillings to vision tests, mammograms and general medical screenings. There were more than 5,400 general medical encounters, and behind every visit and every number, there was a story of need.

"The benefit of getting out and hearing these personal stories is that it allows you to do a better job of connecting your heart with your mind and understanding the challenges people are dealing with every day," said Carlson, who focused his volunteer efforts on registering patients during the event. "Hopefully that makes us more effective in the work we do."

"RAM is a living example of our values in action. We're creating a culture of service by providing real solutions to the people who need it the most," Carlson added. "This clinic won't solve all of their problems, but it was our chance to help ease their burden for a weekend."

In addition to the volunteer effort, the [ Amerigroup Foundation ] provided more than $120,000 in support of the clinic, including $60,000 to the Health Wagon, $40,000 to the Virginia Dental Association and $20,000 to the University of Virginia Office of Telemedicine.

"We're so grateful to Jim Carlson and the Amerigroup team for their continued support of RAM," said [ Teresa Gardner ], executive director of the [ Health Wagon ], a local nonprofit that sponsors the annual event. "Without the support of Amerigroup and other volunteers, we would not be able to continue our efforts of providing extensive health care services to our neighbors in need. Amerigroup's assistance in triage helped to ensure a successful event and we look forward to working with them in the future."

In total, Amerigroup [ volunteers ] donated more than 1,000 hours of community service over the course of the 2012 RAM event.

Watch highlights and interviews from this year's RAM clinic on our [ YouTube ] channel.

About the Amerigroup Foundation
The [ Amerigroup Foundation ] is the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup Corporation (NYSE: [ AGP ]), a multistate managed health care company based in Virginia Beach, Va. The Foundation works to create healthy communities by fostering access to health care, encouraging safe and healthy children and families, and promoting community improvement and healthy neighborhoods.

Related Links:
[ Amerigroup YouTube ]
[ The Health Wagon ]
[ Remote Area Medical (RAM) ]

SOURCE Amerigroup Foundation

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[ http://www.amerigroup.com ]