From High School to Health Clinic

Nash County High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, typically buzzes with the daily activities of students and teachers. But, on a recent August weekend, the gym, cafeteria, and hallways were filled with patients getting the healthcare they often have difficulty receiving. 

Nearly 300 local residents attended the two-day health clinic presented by Corning’s Office of Racial Equality & Social Unity (ORESU), national nonprofit Remote Area Medical (RAM), and Ripple Effects, a community-based organization. More than 230 volunteers, including officers from the U.S. Public Health Service, assisted on-site. 

“People of color statistically have less access to quality healthcare, and that access dwindles even further in rural areas,” said Millicent Ruffin, Senior Director, Community Impact & Investment (CI&I). “ORESU’s mission is to provide access to resources in traditionally underserved communities. Sponsoring events like this is a way for our company to help keep our communities healthy.”   

Services at the Rocky Mount clinic included free physical exams, women’s health exams, prescription consultations, and eye exams. Those in need left with new glasses made on-site. Dental services included cleanings, fillings, extractions, and X-rays. The event also included free produce boxes, children’s books, and lunch. Attendance at the clinic, in its second year, increased by 100 patients this year.  Medical services provided totaled an estimated value of $188,937,  up from $54,000 in 2023. 

In two years of clinic sponsorship, ORESU has placed special emphasis on breast and colorectal cancers, both of which disproportionally affect Black populations. This year’s clinic also provided free mammograms through a partnership with UNC Health Nash and a local nonprofit, Beyond Pink. 

According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Black women are more likely than white women to have inadequate health care and are less likely to start screenings at the recommended age of 40. Many of the 17 women who received mammograms during the clinic were receiving them for the first time, despite being older than 40, said Michele Johnson, Senior Manager, ORESU, CI&I. 

Last year’s clinic included a partnership with the Colorectal Cancer Equity Foundation to provide awareness and education about colorectal cancers. Black adults have higher diagnosis and mortality rates than other populations.  

“Providing education and free access to screenings for cancers that predominately affect minority communities is a key aspect of ORESU’s healthcare initiative,” Michele said. “We gave 285 people free services without the barriers of having to find an appointment or worry about insurance. I call this year’s clinic a success.” 

Keisha Spivey, Ripple Effects Founder and Executive Director, said the clinics serves the needs of the community, provides an opportunity for people in the community to volunteer and serve those in need, and it allows people who need assistance to feel seen, and valued. 

“Without the financial support of corporations who understand the value of community engagement and the larger impact health has on a city, our reach and capacity to serve the community is limited,” Keisha said. “Partnerships between organizations that are doing the work and corporations that can fund the work are essential to change the narrative in under-resourced areas. It is these types of partnerships that ultimately change the world, one person at a time.”