New film chronicles life of RAM founder

Nov. 20—Fathom Events recently released the documentary, "Medicine Man: The Stan Brock Story," in more than 700 theaters across the country.

The award-winning film, which was featured at Cleveland International Film Festival in 2021, follows the life and mission of free healthcare pioneer Stan Brock, founder of Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinics.

British-born Brock, best known for his role as the star of "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" in the late 1960s, started the major nonprofit organization that operates free pop-up clinics delivering dental, vision, and medical care to underserved communities across the United States.

RAM clinics have served thousands of Ohio residents over the years, including a clinic this past year in Ashtabula, where nearly 1,000 people received vision, dental and medical care free of charge.

Ashtabula County Commissioner J.P. Ducro IV said it's great to have Brock's story captured on the big screen.

"What a visionary! His efforts have impacted the lives of so many for the better," he said. "We are grateful to partner with RAM for the benefit of Ashtabula County."

The idea for RAM originally came about in the 1950s when Brock was employed as a cowboy on the world's largest cattle ranch, living in a remote Amazonian savanna amongst the native Wapishana people.

After sustaining a life-threatening injury, Brock realized that he found himself stranded 26 days on foot from the nearest doctor. He made a promise in that moment that if he survived, he would make it his mission to deliver basic medical aid to people in the world's most inaccessible regions.

Fate intervened when Brock was discovered by American TV producers in the mid-1960s, and he ended up starring alongside Marlin Perkins in "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom."

Brock became one of the most recognizable faces on television, with 32 million weekly viewers tuning into "Wild Kingdom" at the height of its popularity, before going on to collaborate with Ivan Tors on several nature-themed action films and TV series throughout the 1970s and 80s.

In 1985, Brock made the decision to eschew fame and wealth and make good on his long-standing promise to the Wapishana people.

He founded RAM with the aim of flying medical aid to remote communities around the world, and went on to carry out several successful volunteer-led medical relief missions across Latin America.

Yet by 1992, Brock came to realize that the need in some of the rural communities surrounding the organization's headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee was just as great as it was in the most remote regions of the Amazon, with thousands of people having no access to healthcare.

RAM subsequently held its first 'expedition' in the United States and has not stopped ever since, seeing demand increase nationwide over the years, and not just in rural areas.

Today, Remote Area Medical finds itself being the healthcare provider of last resort for millions of Americans across the country with nowhere else to turn for help.

The major non-profit has operated more than 1,250 free pop-up clinics to date, providing more than 910,000 individuals with over $189.5 million worth of free dental, vision and medical services, delivered by some 196,000 volunteers.

"Medicine Man," directed by British filmmaker Paul Michael Angell, recounts Brock's extraordinary life story and offers a unique perspective on the U.S. healthcare crisis as seen from the front lines.

Ashtabula County Commissioner Casey Kozlowski said RAM has been a tremendous help for the people of Ashtabula County.

"It's been awesome to see the community and local organizations come together to help support this effort to provide healthcare for those in need," he said.

The film has inspired audiences from coast to coast at various film festivals, picking up awards along the way.

"It's a real privilege for us to partner with Fathom Events and Remote Area Medical to screen 'Medicine Man' across America," Angell said. "Our only hope is that this film will show people what is really at stake when talking about healthcare access."

The CEO of Remote Area Medical, Jeff Eastman, said the film captures the essence of an enigmatic man with one mission in mind: to prevent pain and alleviate suffering by providing free, quality healthcare to those in need.