Volunteers in Medicine

Jun 9, 2016 | Community Awareness, Non-Profit, Volunteer Opportunities

The Volunteers In Medicine Clinic, or VIM, was founded in 2001 by Sister Monica Heeran. Then, as now, the mission of the Clinic is to reach out and help people gain access to health care. Much has changed over the last 15 years, but one that hasn’t changed it VIM commitment to helping those who are shut out of the healthcare care system gain access to physicians and other medical providers to receive the care they so desperately need.

Today DeLeesa Meashintubby and Scott Palmer from Volunteers In Medicine will provide an update on Volunteers In Medicine and how our community is stepping up to provide health care for those that are most in need.

Notes from presentation:

  • 425 volunteers make it happen including 52 volunteer physicians an medical professionals including those who are retired and those who are in practice.
  • VIM is the only free health care center in the area (including pharmacy). They do ask for and accept donations. Last year, over $20,000 was donated by patients.
  • VIM helps many patients who have insurance under the affordable care act, but could not find a doctor because Lane County is facing an acute shortage of primary care physicans.
  • VIM has a memo of Understanding with Trillium.
  • Some VIM patients have deductibles (over $2500) that are too high for some of their patients or they can’t afford the monthly premiums.
  • Some VIM patients are still not able to get health insurance at all.
  • Typical patient is a single mom, 35, working, not on welfare.
  • 1.3 million budget. Millions of dollars of equipment donated. Most of the money is donated,  raised through annual events (a Purse Sale and Swinging Summer Nights at Shadow Hills) and grants.
  • The financial criteria to be seen at VIM is to have monthly income between 85% and 300% of the Federal Poverty guidelines. They also accept people who are on Medicare/Medicaid and cannot find a doctor.
  • Every one of us knows someone who has been odd manned out of the health system.
  • Still in need of doctors, nurses, physician assistants and non-medical professional volunteers.
  • VIM has 7547 patient visits a year. 4020 are primary care, 1093 are behavioral health.

More information is here: https://www.vim-clinic.org/