2026 Erie RAM Clinic Recap

273 Stories. One Weekend.

In only two days, 273 patients received free medical, dental, and vision care at the third annual Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic held at the ECAT Wayne Campus and presented by Wabtec.

Every number tells a story.

Most begin in Erie. Others hundreds of miles away. Some involve a dental procedure, a new pair of glasses, or access to care that felt out of reach.

The Man Who Drove 373 Miles for a Smile

When Michael accidentally threw away the dentures he'd had for nearly 30 years, replacing them became a challenge. A new set would cost $7,000 with a down payment of $1,500. Michael went in search of other options.

Erie's RAM Clinic became the solution.

Michael drove the roughly 373 miles from his home in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania to Erie, arriving days before the clinic opened. He slept in his car as he waited for his chance to get dentures at no cost. 

On Thursday, after spending nearly two days hunkered down in his car, Michael stepped into ECAT and met Sarah Prylinski. She was preparing for clinic set-up the next day and explained to Michael what it took to host the clinic.

Michael signed up to volunteer with RAM that very day. And on Friday, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a corps of volunteers from around the country, working to transform ECAT into a medical clinic. 

"I appreciate RAM because the people who volunteer are trying to help their neighbor," he said. "And one volunteer can be such a huge lift."

Free dentures may have brought him to Erie, but his service is what made the trip most meaningful. "Not only is volunteering rewarding," he shared, "but it brings your smile back."

She Waited Years for This Weekend

For years, Angie heard people talk about RAM.

Long before she became a nurse, she knew about the organization's mission and the impact its clinics had on communities across the country. She hoped that someday she would be able to volunteer herself.

This September, that day finally arrived.

A first-year nurse working in cardiac care at Allegheny General Hospital, Angie traveled from Pittsburgh to Erie for her first RAM Clinic.

She spent the weekend caring for patients alongside hundreds of volunteers—including UPMC Hamot's Chief Nursing Officer, April Murphy. All had come for the exact same reason: to give their time, skills, and compassion to people they had never met.

"Being here and helping people is a large part of why I became a nurse," Angie said. "I love the collaboration. Everyone is so high-spirited."

It's easy to think of RAM as a weekend clinic. But for volunteers like Angie, it represents something more: a chance to practice the values that brought them into healthcare in the first place.

"People Won't Look at Me Strange Anymore"

Some stories are captured in a single quote. Robert's is one of them.

Robert arrived at the clinic on Friday evening, in an Erie City Mission van driven by his counselor, Frank, and joined by two of his peers in the New Life Program. Each of them came for dentures.

When asked how his new dentures would change his life, Robert paused and offered a simple answer:

"People won't look at me strange anymore."

It served as a reminder that healthcare is about more than procedures. It's about restoring confidence, dignity, and a sense of self-worth that lasts long after the clinic closes.

A Promise Kept

Three years ago, RAM arrived in Erie with a simple promise: free healthcare for anyone who needed it. No questions asked, no insurance needed, no catch.

Today, RAM continues to deliver on that promise. Only now, people don't just attend the clinic, they count on it.

For many, RAM represents the end of a months-long wait for an appointment, a relief from pain and suffering, and a chance to feel seen, heard, and valued.