Stan Brock, the late founder of Remote Area Medical (RAM), will be posthumously inducted into the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. Brock’s legacy of providing free healthcare to underserved communities continues to impact lives across America.
Brock’s journey to establishing RAM began with a harrowing personal experience in British Guiana. While managing a vast cattle ranch in the 1950s, he suffered a severe horse-related injury among the Wapishana Indians. The nearest medical help was a grueling 26-day trek through the jungle. This ordeal inspired Brock to vow to bring medical care closer to those in remote areas.
In 1985, Brock founded RAM in East Tennessee, driven by his promise to the Wapishana and others facing similar healthcare challenges. Over nearly four decades, RAM has served more than 950,000 individuals, delivering over $200 million worth of free dental, vision, and medical services.
Jeff Eastman, RAM’s Chief Executive Officer, reflected on Brock’s determined spirit: “Stan never asked, ‘Can we do this?’ Instead, it was always, ‘How do we do this?'” Eastman said in an interview with the Citizen Tribune.
Brock’s influence extended beyond direct patient care. He played a crucial role in passing the Tennessee Volunteer Medical Services Acts of 1995, which allows healthcare professionals to provide free care across state lines.
The induction ceremony, scheduled for October 15, 2024, at Belmont University, will celebrate Brock’s enduring impact on healthcare accessibility in Tennessee and beyond.
“RAM is the way I have kept a promise, not only to the Wapishana Indians, but to thousands around the world in similar health conditions,” Brock said in an interview before his passing in 2018. “In other words, there are Wapishanas everywhere.”
Read the full article in the Citizen Tribune: RAM Founder Stan Brock to Be Inducted into Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame
Watch the announcement:
Read Stan Brock’s obituary in the New York Times (free article): Stan Brock, 82, Intrepid Provider of Health Care in Remote Areas, Dies
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