A major reason why Paula Snyder was hired as the executive director of SUNY Jamestown Community College’s Cattaraugus County Campus was to expand the college’s involvement in the Olean area community.
So, there was Snyder with JCC president Daniel DeMarte, helping volunteers build a new community playground on King Street in September 2019, when Jim Mahar from BonaResponds approached them with a proposition.
Would JCC be willing to host and co-sponsor a pop-up medical clinic for the community’s underserved at the campus’ downtown location?
“Daniel said yes on the spot,” Snyder remembers.
in 2017 served more than 300 people. The clinic returns to the Olean
area at JCC's Cattaraugus County Campus on September 11 and 12.
Operated by Remote Area Medical (RAM), the clinic is scheduled for September 11 and 12 at JCC. Medical, dental, and optical care will be provided for needy individuals at no cost. No identification or insurance is needed to receive treatment.
In addition to primary medical, dental, and vision care, the clinic will offer resources for mental health, women’s health, cancer screening services, and diabetic teaching by St. Bonaventure professor Scott Medler and his health professional students. Individuals will also be able to sign up for Affordable Care Act coverage, receive a COVID-19 vaccination, and donate blood to ConnectLife.
JCC parking lots open for both clinic days at 1 a.m. Those seeking care are asked to arrive as early as possible.
“You will be given a restaurant buzzer,” Snyder said. “In the parking lot, volunteers will be registering people as they come in. You will be buzzed in to register and directed where to go.”
For the better part of this year, Snyder, Mahar, and a steering committee of community members have planned for the clinic. The group has helped recruit doctors, dentists, opthamologists and other volunteers. They have raised thousands of dollars. And they continue to sort through logistics.
There is more to be done. More volunteers and more funding is needed to meet and exceed Snyder’s and Mahar’s goal of delivering $200,000 of care to 400 patients at the clinic.
Mahar volunteered at a RAM clinic at St. Bonaventure University in 2017, when $188,000 of medical care was provided to 314 people.
“There was such a big impact. It was spectacular. I don’t know how else to say it,” said Mahar, a St. Bonaventure finance professor and leader of the BonaReponds volunteer group. “Of all the things — I’ve been on over 100 trips to everywhere to volunteer and have helped build 200-plus wheelchair ramps — I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a day that had more impact in a weekend than that did. It was staggering.”
Mahar remembers most of the people who were helped. Some had sore teeth but couldn’t afford treatment. Others couldn’t see without glasses. Even more didn’t have a doctor and didn’t know how to schedule an appointment with one.
“They were literally giving us hugs and thanking us,” Mahar said.
Since RAM’s founding in 1985, more than 863,000 individuals have received free services. The RAM clinic at St. Bonaventure was the first of its kind in New York state. It was important to DeMarte that JCC be involved with RAM’s return to the region.
“Daniel really is a driving force behind us doing this,” Snyder said. “Daniel, working alongside our county health and all our healthcare partners, is concerned about the state of rural health in our counties. That has been part of his platform since he became president. He’s looking at the county health rankings and thinking about how JCC can assist in raising the level of health for our county residents that live and work in our communities.”
As a career nurse and longtime director of JCC’s campus health center, RAM’s mission is also close to Snyder’s heart. She has led bi-weekly steering committee meetings since March.
Committee members include Olean General Hospital’s Karen Fohl, who has recruited many volunteer medical and healthcare professionals; Olean mayor Bill Aiello, who has pledged support from his city departments; Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce chief operating officer Meme Yanetsko, who has booked hotel rooms at reduced costs for out-of-town volunteers; Dr. Kevin Watkins, Cattaraugus County’s public health director; and Dr. Annemarie Zimmerman, medical director of Universal Primary Care who will assist with assessment of patients with primary care needs.
“These are critical players in being able to reach the rural poor in all of our areas who also know people who have funding ability and hands-on ability,” Snyder said.
“I think it’s a marvelous community journey together and something that we should be proud of,” said Fohl, the longtime former Olean General Hospital Foundation president. “To be able to improve their dental care, their vision care — people can walk out with a pair of glasses — that’s almost a miracle, plus their primary care. Hopefully we can also get people connected with insurance that they didn’t even know it was possible to get.”
A big bonus of JCC’s downtown location on North Union Street is that it is more accessible to the city’s lowest-income citizens compared to St. Bonaventure’s campus.
When Mahar, who owns Jim’s Park & Shop in Olean, consulted with a professional for market research before deciding to buy the Front Street service store, he learned that 22% of the people who live within a mile of the store location did not own a vehicle.
“Realistically, that’s the majority of the people that we are going after,” Mahar said. “People who have cars usually have some money. We want the people who need help the most. They couldn’t get to Bona’s. That’s a long way to walk if you’re sick or you’re in a wheelchair. It’s a game changer. Instead of making them come to us, we’re going to them.”
“What I like about it is that the walking poor can get to this,” Snyder added. “You don’t have to have a car. You don’t even have to have a bike. You can walk to this clinic for nothing.”
Doctors Jim Harris and Joe Gambacorta from the University at Buffalo dental faculty and RAM clinic veterans, visited JCC in December 2019, followed by RAM officials from Tennessee in February 2020 to ensure the campus had the means to host a clinic.
Snyder said general medical care services provided by Universal Primary Care will be delivered in JCC’s Allied Health & Sciences Center, with dental care in the North Union Street parking lot, and optical care in the Dresser-Rand Training & Conference Center. The truck where eyeglasses are made will be stationed on North Union Street.
Mahar marveled at the complexity of RAM’s operations when its team arrived at SBU in 2017.
“Moving in and moving out was an event in itself,” Mahar said. “They show up with big trucks with everything on it. It’s incredible how much stuff they brought in. The level of professionalism from RAM is incredible. They have an operation that is world class. They are really good.”
Those interested in volunteering can register at volunteer.ramusa.org for full and half day commitments. Those who would like to donate can do so online through the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation at bit.ly/RAM-Fund.
For more information, visit ramusa.org or call 865.579.1530.