The clinic opened in 1982 as a project of the Montgomery County Joint Public Charities Hospital Board, and is operated by Health Services, Inc. It was built on land donated by the Ramer Civic Club. Health Services, Inc. now operates 10 care sites, three in Montgomery and seven in rural areas, similar to the one in Ramer. Sites are opened based on community need. Payment for clinic services is on a sliding scale, determined by family income and the number of family members. The clinic draws patients primarily from Montgomery, Crenshaw, Pike, and Bullock counties.

The clinic now has a full-time doctor, a board-certified family practice physician, Dr. Dharmesh Patel, who joined the staff in March of 2003. Dr. Ace Anglin, D.P.M., performs podiatry in Ramer once a week. Dr. Anglin has been taking care of "Ramer feet" for several years. In addition, the clinic has an R.N., Unit Coordinator, Mary Lynn Hubbard, and an L.P.N., Patricia Barnes. Assisting the medical staff are Bonnie Armstrong and Roseatta Harris, patient representatives.

The clinic offers lab and x-ray facilities. Wendy Williamson is the x-ray and lab technician.

The clinic also has a part-time dentist, Dr. Gerri Hendon, D.M.D., offering basic dental services. Dr. Hendon is assisted by Geila Cates, who has been with Health Services since she started her career at Ramer in 1982. Jessica Hall, hygienist, a long-time employee with HSI, works in Ramer one day each month.

Sylvia Smith, who has been with the clinic since it opened in August 1982, is part-time dental receptionist and WIC Clerk. Sylvia oversees the WIC program, a federally funded nutrition program for women, infants, and children up to five years of age who are at nutritional risk. The WIC program teaches pregnant women and young mothers good eating habits for themselves and their children. This program has served more than 400 families in the Ramer community since the clinic opened. According to Dr. Patel, “Sylvia is the heart of the clinic.”

As we might expect, elderly patients face many healthcare challenges. “They need more medications, and it is often difficult for them to obtain those medications,” according to Dr. Patel. He works regularly with pharmaceutical companies to help provide as many free samples of medications as possible for the clinic’s elderly patients. He also likes to make certain that older patients know about programs that are now available from pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Merck that provide medications at greatly reduced costs to senior citizens who enroll in their programs. Pharmacy services are offered to all Ramer Health Center patients. Those on a limited income without private prescription drug plans can take advantage of certain medications at discounted rates. Most drugs prescribed by our physicians may be picked up and refilled at the Ramer Health Center.

On average, according to the clinic's staff, they see approximately 15-20 medical patients each day with a wide variety of medical problems.

The majority of the clinic’s patients come for services in five areas: diabetes diagnosis and treatment; hypertension; immunization updates; sports physicals; and women’s health. Flu shots are avilable to the public during flu season. A certified diabetes educator visits once a month to conduct a diabetes clinic that is open to the public. Class participants learn about diabetes and its treatment on both a one-on-one and on a group basis with the instructor. The class generally has 8-20 participants and lasts from a half hour to a full hour. “There just seems to be a lot of diabetes here in the South,” according to the clinic’s R.N. Mary Lynn Hubbard.

“We try to educate our newly diagnosed patients on the seriousness of their condition,” says Dr. Patel. “Diabetes is usually found in association with other conditions, such as hypertension and high cholesterol. Patients can suffer from lots of complications if their symptoms are not attended to, such as kidney failure and stroke.” The diabetes clinic is free and is open to anyone interested in participating. You do not have to be a patient at the clinic to participate.

“The people of this community wanted this clinic, and now we want the clinic to serve the community,” says Sylvia Smith. At the clinic, Dr. Patel and his staff believe in educating, and in treating, the “total person.” He emphasizes that patients need to be more aware of how factors such as stress and depression affect physical health and well-being. “It is the role of a practice such as Ramer Health Center to provide the community with this type of education,” says Dr. Patel.

The clinic staff regularly participates in community health activities, such as the Dunbar Elementary School health fair. The staff also works with local schools to keep students’ immunizations current and offers sports physicals for student athletic programs.

Although the clinic does receive some federal funding, such as the WIC program, and is a federally qualified health center, it is not the Health Department. It is a privately owned facility that is open to the entire
community, regardless of a patient's financial resources. Dr. Patel encourages all members of the community to make the best use of the clinic's services.

The clinic accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and most major private insurance plans. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. It is closed from 12:00 until 1:00 p.m. each day for lunch. An after hours phone number is available for patients. Several doctors company wide share “on call” duty for after hours treatment.

Although accessibility and convenience are important, so is the atmosphere in which a patient receives treatment. The Ramer Health Center is known for its family atmosphere and personalized healthcare. “We spoil our patients!” says nurse Mary Lynn Hubbard. And Mary Lynn and the all the staff agree that they “love their new doctor!”

Dr. Patel, a native of India, attended medical school on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, completed his internship and a clinical rotation in Texas and his residency at UAB in Birmingham, before coming to the Ramer Health Center. He lives in Andalusia with his wife, Rashmi, who is an X-ray technician at Open MRI in Andalusia, and their newborn son. He says he enjoys South-ern food and hospitality.

Dr. Patel is the first to admit, “I have worked in bigger cities—and I have been at the UAB Hospital in Birmingham—and I can say that we have an excellent and very caring staff here. Working with a good staff brings out the best in you.” Isn’t that what healthcare is all about?