[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 78 (Thursday, May 22, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S3284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING REMOTE ACCESS MEDICAL

  Mr. REID. Madam President, fans of the popular reality television 
series ``Wild Kingdom'' may recall watching Stan Brock wrestle giant 
anacondas in the Amazon and corral wildebeests in the Serengeti, but 
for the past three decades, he has been engaged in a very different 
kind of struggle. In 1985, he founded a nonprofit organization known as 
Remote Area Medical, RAM, with the stated goal of ``addressing the 
needless pain and suffering caused by the lack of healthcare in 
impoverished, underserved, and isolated areas.'' Since its inception, 
RAM has hosted 724 free medical events in which over 80,000 volunteers 
have delivered $75 million in free medical, dental and vision care. It 
is not uncommon for patients to travel hundreds of miles to attend one 
of these events or to sleep in their cars while they wait for the free 
clinics to open.
  Last month, I had the opportunity to witness RAM in action when they 
held a 3-day medical event at Hug High School in Reno, NV. In the short 
time I was there, I saw hundreds of Nevadans filter through the clinic 
to receive much needed dental work, vaccinations, eye exams, free 
glasses, mental health screenings, and general medical work ups--all 
with short waits and at no cost to the patients. The patients attending 
the clinic were so grateful to finally receive a much needed x ray, 
pair of glasses, and many other services. I spoke with many of the 
volunteers--doctors, nurses, dentists--and they were all thrilled to be 
a part something so meaningful that fills a void for individuals who 
have no other way to access some of these critical services. A similar 
scene played out in Las Vegas earlier in the month, where RAM held a 2-
day event at Bonanza High School. In total, the RAM team of 597 
volunteers served 1,712 patients and provided almost one-half million 
dollars in care during their two expeditions in Nevada last month.
  RAM was able to bring these events to Nevada because it is one of 
only a few States that allows licensed medical professionals from other 
States to volunteer at free medical services events. I have witnessed 
firsthand the value of these events--both for the patients they serve 
and for those volunteers who want to find a way to donate their 
professional expertise in a meaningful way. That is why I am convinced 
that we need Federal legislation that will allow medical practitioners 
to cross State lines to provide free volunteer care. Senator Boxer has 
been working to craft such legislation, and I look forward to 
supporting her in this effort.
  Stan Brock's work has been exemplary. Through his efforts, hundreds 
of thousands of people in need of have received proper healthcare--some 
for the first time in their lives. My own appreciation for RAM was 
cemented as I personally witnessed this noble work. Watching Stan and 
his team work together to help so many unfortunate Nevadans was a 
moving experience for me. I thank Stan Brock, RAM, and all of the 
selfless volunteers for giving so much of themselves to those with so 
little.

                          ____________________