McKesson Charity Contribution

Volunteers in Medicine was selected by McKesson Medical-Surgical and the McKesson Foundation as the recipient of this year’s charity contribution.  Recognizing the impact of the recession and the escalating crisis of the uninsured, McKesson opted to support an organization that provides direct medical care to those without access to quality health care in the US.

The award was presented at the McKesson annual sales meeting in Nashville, TN with over 1000 sales reps and suppliers in attendance. Dr. Eugene Cheslock founder of the Parker Family Health Center in Red Bank, NJ accepted the award on behalf of Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) and spoke about the incredible work provided free of charge by VIM clinics to hundreds of thousands of uninsured throughout the country.

VIM clinics from Georgia to Oregon will use McKesson funds to provide health care services, medications, diagnostic testing, medical supplies, and patient education to the uninsured in their communities.

The VIM national office is pleased to be able to make these funds available to VIM Alliance members. Our hope is to identify future funding opportunities for VIM clinics.

Leahy Introduces Legislation to Provide Relief for Free Health Care Clinics

In August, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced legislation to expand the scope of the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) to provide malpractice coverage for board members, employees, contractors and officers of free clinics. The current law provides malpractice coverage only for physicians who volunteer in free clinics.

The expanded coverage will parallel what is currently available to federally qualified health centers. This legislation would not only benefit the 73 VIM clinics but all free clinics across the country that provide essential preventive and primary health care services to millions of uninsured patients.

VIM on FaceBook

Become a FaceBook fan of Volunteers in Medicine to get the latest news from the national office and VIM clinics across the country. Sign up today to join the conversation!

Vintage McConnell

Visit our website www.volunteersinmedicine.org to view a recently rediscovered video of Dr. McConnell. This video does an excellent job of describing the VIM model and the Culture of Caring as well as providing an introduction to Dr. Jack McConnell, the founder of Volunteers in Medicine.

Share this video with friends and colleagues to spread the message about Volunteers in Medicine.

Need for VIM Clinics Continues

During the recession, the growing number of unemployed and uninsured has resulted in unprecedented demand for services among all VIM clinics. These safety net clinics are needed now more than ever.

Please contact the national office to explore developing a VIM clinic for your community. Or for volunteer opportunities within an existing VIM clinic, please contact the clinic nearest you.

Words of Thanks from a VIM Patient

This note was sent to the national office from a VIM patient in Eugene, OR.

Hello. I am compelled to take this opportunity to just say "thanks". I am immensely grateful that you exist, because I have a need for your services. And I am very happy to have had them.

The staff at my local VIM are superb. They have honestly provided better care to me than I have EVER received from any for-profit medical system. I want to help keep VIM in existence and providing the quality care I have received. I'm low income, so for now this will be a daunting task. Just know that many people who need medical care are receiving it from extremely competent people. You'll not hear that from most of them, but you're hearing it from me for what it's worth.

J.S. Garrison