Right now in Central Oregon, thousands of people without health insurance choose between healthcare and food, childcare, or housing. Without access to medical care, untreated conditions could lead to severe or life threatening illness, visits to the emergency room and overwhelming medical bills.
Volunteers in Medicine is our successful, local solution to this terrible dilemma.
What we do
Our patients are low-income, working adults not covered by the Oregon Health Plan and who cannot otherwise afford insurance.
We treat people by partnering with St. Charles, local pro-bono specialists, and nearly 2,000 volunteer doctors, nurses and community members over the last 20 years.
It’s special. We are neighbors taking care of neighbors.
Tony’s story
Tony is a dishwasher at a local taco shop who began feeling dizzy until one day he fainted at work. When he awoke, his co-worker said this reminded him of diabetes. They drove straight to the emergency room, where Tony was tested. The co-worker was right: Tony had diabetes.
Now, with a large medical bill from the emergency room and a new diagnosis, Tony was facing a major question. How would he pay for this health problem and provide for his family?
But the nurse told Tony about VIM. He got a referral to our clinic and was seen quickly. We provided glucose monitoring, education about nutrition, and the medication Tony needs to stay healthy and keep working.
“I don’t know what I would have done without VIM,” said Tony. “I would probably have gotten sicker, with more complications. It could have spiraled out of control. It’s scary to think about.”
The outcomes
In our 20 years, we’ve:
● Treated 16,000 patients
● Provided 111,000 patient visits
● Racked up 114,000 volunteer hours
● Provided $150 million+ in medical care and community benefit
Change lives with a gift today!
