The Volunteer Voice
E-Newsletter
September 13th, 2019
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Cocktails for a Cause
Wednesday, November 6th
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On
Wednesday, November 6th
, the clinic will host our
"Cocktails for a Cause"
fundraiser in partnership with the Luzerne County Medical Society from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm at
Kevin's Bar & Restaurant
in Kingston. The event will feature celebrity bartenders, celebrity servers and a silent auction.
If you
would like to donate
to Cocktails for a Cause by providing a gift certificate, monetary donation or gift item for our silent auction, please
contact Kelly Ranieli
at 570-970-2864 or vimwb@hotmail.com.
Sponsorship opportunities
are also.
Click the
link below
to download the sponsorship form.
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CPAP Machines Now Available
for VIM Patients
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Thanks to a new program through the
American Sleep Apnea Association
, patients at VIM that have been diagnosed with sleep apnea are able to obtain a
CPAP machine
. Through the program, for a minimal fee, patients will receive the machine, tubing and a mask.
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Recently,
Chris Gaughan,
VIM's Nursing Director, received a
heartwarming thank you card
from a 41 year-old female patient that utilized the services at the clinic for a year while
she was uninsured
. During that time, the patient went for a routine mammogram which identified suspicious areas in both breasts. She then went for an MRI and biopsy which
determined she had breast cancer
. Chris worked diligently to make referrals for the patient to have a bilateral mastectomy which was performed in May of 2019. The patient is now
recovering well and very grateful
for the care she received at VIM.
"Chris - I just want to say thank you! I don't know where I would be right now if I hadn't gone to Volunteers in Medicine
.
T
hank you for all of your care and concern.
The level of
compassion
you showed me made me realize there are awesome people still left in this world. Thank you for all you do in every day health care.
You are an amazing nurse and person.
You went above and beyond for me. I can't say thank you enough! You left an
unforgettable impression
on my heart!"
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Staff Attends Community Events
the Week of September 9th
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On Tuesday, September 10th,
Kelly Ranieli
, Executive Director,
Amanda Ankner
, Development Manager,
Darcie Schaffer
, Dental Clinic Manager, and
April Lennon
, Social Care Coordinator attended the
Young Professional Awards
hosted by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce. VIM was nominated for the
Young Professional Development Award
for hosting residents and students from the local colleges, universities and allied/technical schools.
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On Thursday, September 12th,
Kelly Ranieli
,
Chris Gaughan
,
Darcie Schaffer
and
Dr. Frances Feudale
attended the
United Way's Annual Kickoff Dinner
at Mohegan Sun Casino. The message for this year's campaign is "small things can make a big difference". The keynote speaker, Kenton Lee, spoke to attendees about
a life-changing mission
trip he took to Kenya where he identified a desperate need for shoes for children in the impoverished country. Upon returning home to Idaho, he created a pair of shoes with the help of a shoe making company that could "grow" with children. He has
helped thousands of children
receive footwear.
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Flu Shots Available for Patients
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On
Wednesday, October 23rd
, the clinic will offer a Flu Clinic and provide free
flu shots
for patients from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm. Patients can
sign up
to receive the flu shot directly at the clinic by stopping by or calling 570-970-2864.
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Welcome to Our New Students & Volunteer
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Ileana Santana
is a new volunteer at the clinic. She has been
helping translate for patients
during their appointments and is also translating documents into Spanish. She is currently
a scribe in the Emergency Department
at a hospital in Hazleton. Ileana is very interested in emergency medicine and cardiology. She choose to volunteer at VIM "to give back to the medical community by giving her time.
Wilkes-Barre has a large Latino population and I hope to give back to them in any way I can."
Ileana is also the proud mother of a beautiful, energetic three-year-old boy who she says makes her a better person every day.
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Yarisa Polanco
is a nursing student from Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center's
Practical Nursing Program
. She began her six-week clinical rotation this week. Yarisa plans to obtain her RN, BSN and
practice in an ER setting
. She is happy to complete her rotation at the clinic -
"This offers me a chance to give back to the community and make even the smallest difference in someone's life."
In her free time, Yarisa enjoys being with family and friends. She is also interested in photography.
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Alexandria Shaffer
, a Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner student from Wilkes University,
spent time seeing patients
in conjunction with Dr. Frances Feudale, VIM's Medical Director, at the clinic last week. She will be graduating from her program in May of 2020. Alexandria is happy to treat patients at the clinic - "
I admire VIM's dedication to caring for those that are less fortunate.
I look forward to providing care to this under-served population."
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Alicia Bursey
is also a nursing student from Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center's
Practical Nursing Program
that began her six-week clinical rotation this week. Her goal is to
obtain her MSN
in the hopes of one day opening her own clinic. Alicia has enjoyed her time at the clinic so far -
"Being at VIM gives me the opportunity to try something new, gain valuable experience and give back to my community."
In her spare time, she enjoys activities with her children and her family.
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Healthy Smile for a Healthy Start Program
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Back to school means the
dental clinic staff
are back to presenting the Healthy Smiles Program! On Saturday, September 7th,
Darcie Schaffer
, Dental Clinic Manager, and
Shelby Goss
, Dental Hygienist, attended the
Girl Scouts 2019 Girl Con
at the Viewmont Mall in Dickson City.
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On Monday, September 10th,
Dr. Mahima Singh
, Volunteer Dentist,
Darcie Schaffer
and
Shelby Goss
provided 26 dental screenings to children at the Child Development Center's South Wilkes-Barre Center.
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On Thursday, September 12th,
Dr. George Puhak
, Volunteer Dentist,
Darcie Schaffer
,
Shelby Goss
and
Ali Feathers
, Physician Assistant student, provided 30 dental screenings to children at the Child Development Center's Hazleton Center.
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Dr. Jennifer Buckwash Presents at
Clinic's Monthly In-service
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On Tuesday, September 10th,
Dr. Jennifer Buckwash
, psychologist and owner of a private practice in Kingston, spoke at the clinic's monthly in-service. Dr. Buckwash presented information on
the identifying and treating eating disorders
. She also shared her personal experience with bulimia nervosa which was very inspiring to the staff, volunteers and students that were in attendance.
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Number of Uninsured Americans on the Rise
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On Tuesday, September 10th, the
U.S. Census Bureau
released data showing that in 2018, the number of uninsured Americans increased by 1.9 million,
bringing the uninsured rate from 7.9% in 2017 to 8.5% in 2018
. This is the first year-to-year increase in the uninsured rate in a decade.
The rise in uninsured Americans is attributed to the Trump administration's
efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act
and to reduce the number of people receiving Medicaid.
For more information,
click the link below
for an article published in the New York Times.
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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 April
at
april-vimwb@hotmail.com
or call 570-970-2864.
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Tuesday, October 15th
Geisinger's Fresh Food Farmacy
Presented by Allison Hess
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Tuesday, November 12th
Family Service Association
Presented by Atty. Gert McGowan
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Tuesday, December 3rd
Robinson Counseling Center
Presented by Jessica Budzak
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Tuesday, January 14th
2020 U.S. Census
Presented by Katie Derhammer
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Maven Project Educational
Teleconference Sessions
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In conjunction with the clinic's partnership with the
Maven Project
,
educational teleconference sessions
will be provided by physicians across the country. Each session will be from
12:00pm to 1:00pm
in the clinic's conference room and is open to volunteers and providers.
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The upcoming teleconferences sessions are:
- Tuesday, September 17th - Evaluating Shortness of Breath
- October 1st - Chronic Kidney Disease: A Primer for Primary Care Physicians
- Tuesday, October 15th - Management of Asthma in Adults
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If there is
a topic you would be interested
in learning about, please reach out to Dr. Frances Feudale, VIM's Medical Director, at
drfrances-vim@hotmail.com
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VIM is
not a federally-funded clinic and does not charge for services
. The clinic operates solely from donations from businesses and individuals, grants from foundations and proceeds from special events.
Any contribution
you are able to make assists VIM with keeping our low-income neighbors
healthy, well and working
.
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Volunteers
in
Medicine
190 North Pennsylvania Avenue
Wilkes-Barre PA 18702
Phone: 570-970-2864 | email: vimwb@hotmail.com
website www.vimwb.org
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