Finding a viable central location has always been front of mind for those planning Remote Area Medical clinics that have come to Cattaraugus County in recent years.
The first was held at St. Bonaventure University in 2017, and although successful, moving the clinic to downtown Olean made it more convenient for city residents without reliable means of transportation.
The clinic moved to SUNY Jamestown Community College’s downtown Olean Cattaraugus County Campus in 2021 and to the nearby Olean YMCA in 2023, offering a walkable destination for hundreds.
As RAM returns to the YMCA on Saturday and Sunday Sept. 13 and 14, those leading the clinic have made it even more accessible for people to receive needed care. Free busing will be available to and from the clinic throughout Olean, Allegany County, and Salamanca for those without vehicles.
“There is much more concentration on transportation because that has gone to the top of people's basic needs,” said Paula Snyder, JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus executive director who oversees planning and management of the clinic. “Many individuals don't have cars or any ability to obtain the services they need.”
Through the help of Keri Kerper of the City of Olean, Snyder worked with the Ardent Solutions Allegany County team that oversees the regional bus system to offer free transportation for Saturday of the clinic, which is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Clinic hours are 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.
“We know we needed more funds this year, to house and feed volunteers, promote the clinic, provide vaccines etc.,” Snyder said. “We added the possibility of transporting out of area patients at no cost to the patient. Ardent Solutions could not have been more helpful in this process, and were on board from the beginning.”
Ardent Solutions has planned two bus routes on Saturday with pick up and drop off locations in Wellsville, Bolivar, Ceres, Portville, Rushford, Caneadea, Belfast, Belmont, Friendship, Cuba, and Hinsdale.
Ardent Solutions also offers buses connecting various locations in Olean and Salamanca and its regular city of Olean loop on Saturdays.
“We know we needed more funds this year, to house and feed volunteers, promote the clinic, provide vaccines etc.,” Snyder said. “We added the possibility of transporting out of area patients at no cost to the patient. Ardent Solutions could not have been more helpful in this process, and were on board from the beginning.”
Additionally, the Olean City School District through the work of Jen Mahar, the district’s director of Special Programs, has pledged buses to assist with transporting people to and from the city’s housing projects.
The 2023 RAM clinic in Olean served 367, including 51 children. With busing now available, Snyder expects more than 500 patients over the two days.
Jim Mahar, leader of the BonaResponds volunteer organization who is the clinic co-chair with Snyder, said about a quarter of Olean city households do not have vehicles.
The St. Bonaventure University finance professor added that even those who do have solid transportation might not have the means to fund needed medical, dental, and vision services that RAM provides to anyone at no cost.
“Just because someone is working, it doesn't mean they have health insurance or dental insurance,” Mahar said. “There’s a lot of need everywhere, from Olean to whatever way you want to go.”
He continued: “More than 40% of the people in the United States can’t afford a $600 emergency. What happens if they need a tooth pulled or something like that? They don’t have the resources to fall back on. If they don’t have insurance, what do you do? Or a new pair of glasses. How many people need a new pair of glasses, but they can’t get an appointment? It’s a pretty significant portion of the population.”
Snyder has been a registered nurse for 47 years with many roles in the community, including working in intensive care units, home health, and hospice. As a former director of college health services at JCC, she has built relationships with agencies and community organizations that assist clients and patients with unmet medical needs and high levels of poverty.
“As a nurse, this is a joyful day for me, probably one of my best,” Snyder said. “To give quality, life-changing care that is absolutely free and to see the happiness that these two days bring, no words can describe it.”
Snyder emphasized JCC’s commitment to meeting the health needs of regional residents.
“Our board of trustees at JCC receives a presentation at our president’s request after each RAM from our Nursing faculty and our students who volunteer,” she said. "Our board and our leadership are totally committed to supporting our community needs in this way. We have had board members volunteer with our RAMs here and in Jamestown. I am very proud of our president Daniel DeMarte as he works this clinic all day alongside all our volunteers.”
Led by Snyder, Mahar, and Christine Schuyler, JCC’s former Healthcare Initiatives director, a two-day RAM clinic served 222 adults and 27 children last September at JCC’s Jamestown Campus. More than $205,000 of care was provided through the Tennessee non-profit.
JCC, St. Bonaventure’s BonaResponds, Twin Tiers YMCA, Olean City School District, and many other local organizations have partnered to bring RAM back to Cattaraugus County for the fourth time this year.
Additional RAM clinics have also been held in Belmont in Allegany County in recent years. Since no clinic is currently planned for Allegany County, Snyder and the Olean RAM team wanted to make access to this clinic an option for those residents.
Mahar hopes to deliver more than a quarter of a million dollars in care this time around.
To hit that goal, Snyder said more volunteers are needed, most notably ophthalmologists for vision care. General volunteers and Spanish translators are also being sought and can register before Aug. 28 at ramusa.org/Volunteer.
The full schedule of Allegany County runs is posted below. Route information for Olean and Salamanca can be found at AccessAllegany.com.