The Volunteer Voice
E-Newsletter
November 2nd, 2018
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The clinic staff had a
great time
dressing up for Halloween this year. We hope you had a
spook-tacular
day!
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The above patient
first came
to VIM in 2016 with various health issues and in need of medications. After numerous appointments with Dr. Weinman, Dr. Scott, Dr. Sordoni. Dr. Diana, and Dr. Sandra Mattison the patient realized their concerns for her health due to her weight were substantiated. The patient knew she needed to
take action
to improve her overall health and well-being.
On
February 8th, 2018
, she weighed herself at
307 lbs
and began her weight loss journey. She started the Weight Watcher Freestyle Program at home and incorporated walking and weight toning into her fitness regime. Combining exercise with a healthy diet, the patient weighed in at the clinic on October 30th,
down almost 80 lbs
! She credits Dr. Mattison as her inspiration and says "VIM is a God send and I'm grateful for everyone that gives their time and funds to make it happen!"
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Best of Luck to Dr. Sandra Mattison!
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After
seven years
of volunteering at VIM, we're sad to learn that
Dr. Sandra Mattison
will be starting a new adventure in Connecticut. She spent Friday, October 26th seeing patients at the clinic before her
big move
. She will be
greatly missed
by the staff, fellow volunteers and patients. We thank her for her time and expertise and wish her the
best of luck
in her new beginning!
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Sponsorship Opportunities Available for VIM's 2019 Annual Luncheon
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The clinic's
Annual Meeting and Appreciation Luncheon
will be held on Tuesday, January 29th, 2019 from 12 pm to 2 pm at the Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre. The luncheon will
honor outstanding
volunteers and supporters in ten special categories.
Sponsorship opportunities
are available. Click the link below for the sponsorship levels and form. If additional information is needed please contact
Amanda Ankner
at 570-970-2864 or
[email protected]
.
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Pennsylvania Vision Foundation to Offer Eye Care Services for Patients
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The clinic is excited to announce that we a new partnership with the
Pennsylvania Vision Foundation
to offer free eye care services to our patients. The agreement allots the clinic up to
twenty-five appointments
per month. Once the patient completes a form and their information is received by the Foundation, they are electronically enrolled in a plan administered by
Vision Benefits of America (VBA)
, Inc. Upon enrollment, patients are then able to schedule an appointment with any VBA doctor. This
new program
will be a great benefit for our patients and will reimburse the eye doctors for the visit! The program is
no cost to VIM or the patient
.
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Moses Taylor Foundation Grant Will Cover Building Improvements
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VIM is honored to be a recipient of a $20,000 for Building Repair and Refurbishment grant from the
Moses Taylor Foundation
. The building was built in the early 1930's as a garage and cars lifted by an elevator to the second floor. The organization was fortunate to purchase the "Buzzy Bizarre" building in March of 2008 and quickly renovated a portion of the building to house the medical clinic.In 2011,
funding was obtained and major renovations
were done in order to open the VIM dental clinic.
The weather in northeastern Pennsylvania has not been kind to an old brick building. The brick on the outside of the building needs to be refurbished with new mortar and paint. There was a major leak in a portion of the roof near the old elevator shaft due to all the rain this summer which lead to some issues with an exam room and back entrance area. The entire roof needs to be replaced. The parking lot needs to be filled in and eventually paved which is a very costly project. The funds from the Moses Taylor Foundation are much needed to assist us in repairing the building in order to continue to provide a
safe and professional environment
to the patients, staff and volunteers at VIM.
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On Monday, October 22nd,
Stephen Sawka
, Walgreens pharmacist, hosted a flu clinic at VIM. From 3 pm to 5 pm, over 20 patients received a
flu vaccine
.
The clinic was pleased to see Stephen again. He had previously completed his
six-week pharmacy rotation
at VIM! He is now a successful pharmacist at our local Walgreens.
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VIM is Still Looking for Local Businesses to Host our Band-aid Fundraiser
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The clinic is
still looking
for local businesses to help with our latest fundraiser! Band-aid cutouts can be offered to patrons to purchase for $10, $5 or $1. There is
NO COST
to the business as all materials are provided by VIM.
If you, or someone you know, is willing to participate please contact
Amanda Ankner
at 570-970-2864 or [email protected].
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Welcome to our New Students,
Residents and Volunteers
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Payal Parikh
joined the clinic as a volunteer this week. She will be assisting as a receptionist and helping with
other office duties
. She is excited to be a part of VIM and looks forward to working with her neighbors in need.
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VIM welcomes
Tiffany Yuskoski
and
Alexis Wilner
from
Luzerne County Community College's Dental Hygiene Program
.
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VIM welcomes
Crystal Evans
,
Sierra Boragno
and
Dayna Behm
from
Luzerne County Community College's Dental Hygiene Program.
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Maverick Reed
is a pharmacy student from
Wilkes University
that will be completing his clinical introductory pharmacy practice experience at the clinic over the next few weeks. He is looking forward to
gaining experience
working with a low-income population at the clinic. Upon graduation, Maverick would like to practice pharmacy in the
Air Force
.
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Himaswetha Bharatha
is a pharmacy student from
Wilkes University
that spent time volunteering at the clinic this week. Himaswetha chose to volunteer at VIM because she "likes how people
volunteer their own time
to help others and not look for a profit while helping." Upon graduation, she would like to be an
ambulatory pharmacist
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This week, the manager from
Jolie Academy
in Wilkes-Barre reached out to Kelly Ranieli, Executive Director, to schedule a meeting to
discuss hosting
the school's students at VIM. The clinic looks forward to the potential partnership.
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Social Care Coordinator Attends
National NAFC Conference
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Chelsea Collins
, Social Care Coordinator, attended the
National Association of Free Clinic's (NAFC) Symposium
in Henderson, Nevada on October 14th-16th. The theme of this year’s symposium was “This is Us: Humans of Health Care” and focused on
new and upcoming trends
within the world of free and charitable clinics, and also stressed the importance of utilizing a
humanistic approach
to a number of different topics concerning the health of our patients.
One of the highlights of the conference was VIM receiving the
Americares BD/NAFC Advancing Community Health: Driving Quality Outcomes Award
. The clinic received this recognition for the pursuit of the Patient Centered Medical Home Certification.
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Patient Centered Medical Home Update
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During this week's PCMH call, the clinic staff and Americares team reviewed items from the
Comprehensive Health Assessment
. This assessment collects important information on not just the patient's physical health but
social and behavioral health
as well.
The next assignment for the clinic's staff is to complete a
Third Next Available Appointment
review. This assignment will help the clinic identify the availability of appointments to
ensure consistency
with the patient and their primary provider. Overall, it will enhance access to care and ensure follow up appointments are scheduled.
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Healthy Smiles Program Visits Local Preschools and the SHINE Program
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The
dental clinic staff
and Katie the Kangaroo have been very busy presenting our
Healthy Smiles Program
to local preschools.
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Mountain Top Kids Child Care Center
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When I Grow Up Childcare Learning
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Luzerne County Head Start in Hazleton
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Recently, the clinic has been asked to present
Healthy Smiles
to students in the
SHINE program
. The after-school program provides a safe environment for children to learn while their parents are still at work.
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SHINE Program in Nanticoke
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SHINE Program in Hazleton
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Save the Date
Upcoming Educational Community In-Services
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Learning about other Luzerne County
community agencies in order to refer patients
is one of the many ways that VIM provides case management services. All in-services are from
9:00 am to 10:00 am
and are held at the clinic. If you would like to join us for the next presentation, please
RSVP to Chelsea
at
[email protected]
or 570-970-2864.
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Tuesday, November 27th
Adopt a Single Mom Project
Presented by Donna Nelson
Tuesday, December 18th
VIM's Strategic Plan
Presented by Kelly Ranieli
Tuesday, January 22nd
The Importance of Pharmacology
Presented by the Wilkes University Pharmacy Students
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Volunteers
in
Medicine
190 North Pennsylvania Avenue
Wilkes-Barre PA 18702
website www.vimwb.org
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