American Breast Cancer Foundation Celebrates 10 Years with 

R A M

Remote Area Medical Clinic in Wise, VA

July 20 - 22, 2009 

This year, the Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic at the Wise County Fairgrounds in Wise, Virginia  and the American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF) once again teamed up to provide potentially life-saving services to people in need.

With more than 21% of the population of Wise, Virginia at or below the poverty level (2008 US Census), RAM has come in to this Appalachian community to provide medical, dental and vision services to those who would otherwise go without. The American Breast Cancer Foundation has assisted with this mission for the last 10 years, providing screening mammograms to women on site and enrolling those in need of additional assistance into our Key to Life Breast Cancer Assistance Program.

Jo, a Key to Life Assistance Provider for the American Breast Cancer Foundation, attended the event for the 10^th consecutive year.  She was joined by hundreds of medical personnel and volunteers who assist with this event each year, many of them taking vacation time from work to be a part of this clinic

To watch the RAM segment that appeared last year on the CBS NEWS program 60 MINUTES please CLICK HERE

During this weekend Jo worked more than 12 hours a day, often struggling just to get a break for lunch and once again working through the rain to provide this service to the men and women of this area.  This year ABCF took 92 applications, provided 72 mammograms on the mammography van provided by the University of Virginia and had 11 people apply to our Key to Life Program for additional assistance 

Along with sending folks to receive their mammogram Jo stressed the importance of early detection to each person who crossed her path and taught the women of this area how to do breast self exams, to know their own breast geography and to seek help from the American Breast Cancer Foundation should they ever feel they need it. 

Though we are able to quantify our financial contribution and we know how many people were given services at this event, the impact that RAM and the American Breast Cancer Foundation have had on this community is immeasurable.