In 2008, the election of President Barack Obama brought health care to the forefront of national discussions and led to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The legislation changed the rules of health care delivery in the United States, but the ACA did not do one fundamental thing: It did not end the need for many of the nation's most needy patients to seek free medical care from groups such as Remote Area Medical (RAM).
A mobile clinic, RAM brings together volunteer dentists, physicians, nurses, and other professionals as well as support staff for multi-day clinic events to provide free, on-site care to anyone presenting for treatment without qualification questions. This thesis looks at the ongoing need for RAM in central Appalachia after the passage of the ACA due to a continued lack of comprehensive health care coverage for all Americans.
","abstract_html":"<p>In 2008, the election of President Barack Obama brought health care to the forefront of national discussions and led to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The legislation changed the rules of health care delivery in the United States, but the ACA did not do one fundamental thing: It did not end the need for many of the nation's most needy patients to seek free medical care from groups such as Remote Area Medical (RAM).</p><p>A mobile clinic, RAM brings together volunteer dentists, physicians, nurses, and other professionals as well as support staff for multi-day clinic events to provide free, on-site care to anyone presenting for treatment without qualification questions. This thesis looks at the ongoing need for RAM in central Appalachia after the passage of the ACA due to a continued lack of comprehensive health care coverage for all Americans.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Watson, James W"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MALS (Master of Arts in Liberal Studies)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Liberal Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-12-17T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-12-17T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:14Z","subjects":["appalachia","health care","health reform","free clinics","dental","poverty uninsured","Medicine and Health","Regional Sociology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1358","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Watson, James W"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2011-12-17T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Liberal Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MALS (Master of Arts in Liberal Studies)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["appalachia","health care","health reform","free clinics","dental","poverty uninsured","Medicine and Health","Regional Sociology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2549/viewcontent/WatsonJ082611f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1358"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In 2008, the election of President Barack Obama brought health care to the forefront of national discussions and led to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The legislation changed the rules of health care delivery in the United States, but the ACA did not do one fundamental thing: It did not end the need for many of the nation's most needy patients to seek free medical care from groups such as Remote Area Medical (RAM).
A mobile clinic, RAM brings together volunteer dentists, physicians, nurses, and other professionals as well as support staff for multi-day clinic events to provide free, on-site care to anyone presenting for treatment without qualification questions. This thesis looks at the ongoing need for RAM in central Appalachia after the passage of the ACA due to a continued lack of comprehensive health care coverage for all Americans.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Free Clinics and the Uninsured: The Need for Remote Area Medical in Central Appalachia After Health Reform."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Watson, James W"],"dc:date.available":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2011-12-17T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In 2008, the election of President Barack Obama brought health care to the forefront of national discussions and led to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The legislation changed the rules of health care delivery in the United States, but the ACA did not do one fundamental thing: It did not end the need for many of the nation's most needy patients to seek free medical care from groups such as Remote Area Medical (RAM).
A mobile clinic, RAM brings together volunteer dentists, physicians, nurses, and other professionals as well as support staff for multi-day clinic events to provide free, on-site care to anyone presenting for treatment without qualification questions. This thesis looks at the ongoing need for RAM in central Appalachia after the passage of the ACA due to a continued lack of comprehensive health care coverage for all Americans.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2549/viewcontent/WatsonJ082611f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1358"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["appalachia","health care","health reform","free clinics","dental","poverty uninsured","Medicine and Health","Regional Sociology","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology"],"dc:title":["Free Clinics and the Uninsured: The Need for Remote Area Medical in Central Appalachia After Health Reform."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Liberal Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MALS (Master of Arts in Liberal Studies)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:14Z"}