Tennessee Tech students to bring free Remote Area Medical clinic to Cookeville March 21-22
Students at Tennessee Tech University are preparing to bring free health care to hundreds of Upper Cumberland residents when this year’s Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinic returns to Cookeville March 21–22.
The clinic will take place on a first-come, first-served basis at Cookeville High School and is expected to serve hundreds of patients needing medical, vision or dental care from across the region.
Coordinated by Tech students preparing for careers in health care, student leaders say their work would not be possible without partnership with the national Remote Area Medical nonprofit, the Cookeville Regional Medical Center Foundation and health care providers who spend the weekend volunteering their time and expertise.
“I’ve been a volunteer at the Tennessee Tech RAM clinic for five years, since I was a senior in high school and my brother recruited me to help out,” said Caleb Stovall, a biology and health sciences major from McMinnville who is currently serving as an event co-lead.
Last year, he assisted with hospitality, and Stovall said his leadership transition over five years of volunteering has been substantial.
“Knowing that I’m taking a leadership role and being able to help the community around me is really meaningful,” he said. “We’re bringing a clinic to people who otherwise may not have access to health care.”
Just what sort of impact does the annual RAM clinic have?
According to Janet Coonce, a chemistry instructor and adviser to the Tech RAM host group, the 2025 clinic, with the help of 486 volunteers, served 416 adults and 34 children.
Services included 648 dental extractions, 139 fillings, 121 dental cleanings, 89 medical exams and hundreds of vision screenings and patient education visits. Volunteers also provided 242 pairs of prescription glasses.
The total estimated value of donated care exceeded $406,000.
The student-led host group coordinates everything needed to make the clinic possible locally — including fundraising, recruiting volunteers, arranging meals and lodging for providers and promoting the event to potential patients.
In addition to Stovall, this year’s leadership team includes event co-lead Lauren Knight, promotions lead Leah Secker, parking lead Joshua Brittenham, recruitment lead Annika Ray, hospitality lead Kaylie Gallaher and fundraising lead Amelia Scarlett.
While the RAM nonprofit supplies the medical equipment, Tech students work with community partners to handle all other local logistics required to host the clinic.
That preparation includes arranging dozens of hotel rooms for visiting medical professionals and volunteers, coordinating meals for health care providers and snacks for patients — many of whom arrive early and wait overnight in their vehicles until they can be seen — securing supplies and raising funds to support the effort.
Knight, a pre-pharmacy major from Old Hickory, said she has seen the team’s leadership skills grow in real time, with members’ efforts complementing one another.
“Caleb and I have worked especially well together because my skills and his skills aren’t necessarily the same,” she said. “Skills that I’m weak in, for instance, he tends to excel in and vice versa. Once we established our group communication pattern, things seemed to settle into a natural process for us.”
Gallaher, a nursing major from Oak Ridge who is leading the clinic’s hospitality efforts, said the role has helped her grow her personal leadership and professional communication skills.
“It’s taught me leadership skills I didn’t even know I had,” she said.
An important hospitality partnership is with Melinda Anderson, director of Tech’s School of Human Ecology, and the school’s nutrition and dietetics students, who help prepare snacks and meals throughout the weekend, Gallaher said. Other key partners include CRMC Foundation Director John Bell and medical coordinator Dr. James Gray.
As fundraising lead, Scarlett, a biology and health sciences student from Livingston, said her role has challenged her to grow in ways she had not expected.
“I’ve learned that you can’t be afraid to approach people to talk about making donations, and you can’t be afraid to hear no,” she said.
A significant part of the fundraising effort comes from the annual Golden Helix 5K race, but it does not cover the entire cost of the clinic. Community support is essential, Scarlett said.
Some patients rely on the clinic each year for care they cannot otherwise afford. While some may be struggling to access basic health care, others may not have coverage for vision or dental services. No proof of insurance is required of any patient.
“Some patients come year after year, and that’s the only care they get. It reminds me why I want to go into medicine and why giving back matters so much. It’s a big impact,” Stovall said.
Coonce agreed. “This is experiential learning,” she said. “The RAM clinic is teaching these students life skills that go far beyond what they would get only in classrooms.”
The coming event marks the 10th clinic hosted by Tech students at Cookeville High School.
Find additional details, including important notes for patients wishing to be seen, here: https://www.ramusa.org/events/cookeville-tn-2026/