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The Volunteer Voice
E-Newsletter
September 27th, 2019



Cocktails for a Cause
Wednesday, November 6th
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.
Education and Dental Exams Provided by VIM
The dental team at Volunteers in Medicine performed dental exams on 40 Pre-K Counts students at ABC Kiddie Campus. The team from right to left; Amanda McCarthy, PA Student from Misericordia, Darcie Schaffer, Manager of Dental Services, Dr. Mahima Singh,Volunteer VIM Dentist and Shelby Goss , VIM Hygienist. The purpose of the exams are to ensure that each child continues to have a healthy smile . Darcie Schaffer and Natalie Pierre, Fortis Medical Assistant student also went to the Ann McGlaughlin Day Care and Wiggles and Giggles to educate children on how to brush their teeth and importance of visiting the dentist.

VIM Receives Grant for Humor Therapy
Humor is an effective means for dealing with overwhelming emotion and can be used in therapy to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental health illnesses . The use of Humor Therapy by mental health practitioners sparks connection and increases communication between patient and provider. According to the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, humor provides many benefits to an individual’s overall health and well-being including reduced stress, decreased depressive symptoms, and greater resiliency and pain tolerance.

VIM was recently awarded a grant from the Humor Therapy Fund of the Scranton Area Foundation. Grant funds will be used to develop a humor therapy packet that the Social Care Coordinator can utilize during counseling sessions. This packet will serve as a resource to the Social Care Coordinator to strengthen the relationship with patients, allowing them to develop a deeper level of comfort which will ultimately enhance the quality of behavioral health counseling provided to the patient. By incorporating humor therapy into VIM’s Behavioral Health Program, the clinic will enhance the holistic care to promote mental health wellness to those who face the challenges of day to day living.








The NEPA Learning Conference was held on Sept. 19 th and 20 th at the Hilton Scranton and was attended by VIM’s Social Care Coordinator, April Lennon. At the conference, April listened to speakers discuss topics such as grant writing, finding your personal strengths , professional development, and other topics related to working for a non-profit organization. April also had the opportunity to network with peers, learn about and make connections with local agencies, and have a professional head-shot taken. 
Pictured above is Teri Ooms, Immediate Past President of the VIM Board and April Lennon, Social Care Coordinator at VIM.
Flu Shots Available for Patients
On Wednesday, October 23rd , the clinic will provide free flu shots for patients from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm. The Flu Clinic is offered through a partnership with Americares and Walgreens.
Patient Success Story
​A new female patient came to VIM with concerns of several lumps on her mid and upper back. The one on her upper back had been there for over two years and the others appeared approximately three months ago. They were growing is size & unsightly so she was hoping they could be removed . 

An appointment was made several days later with Dr. Frances Feudale and the patient underwent excision of the lumps which turned out to be large epidermal cysts . The following week the patient returned for suture removal and the two incisions were well healed. The patient and her daughter were overjoyed at the results.
Welcome to Our New Students & Resident



Himani Patel and Shaiua Shah, are both Pharmacy students that joined the clinic this past week. They both have a common interest in ambulatory care. Himani and Shaiua are eager to share their care and compassion with the those who are in need.
Natasha Wu, a Geisinger Family Medicine Resident. Upon completion of her program, Natasha would like to practice in  Family Medicine . She was happy to have the opportunity to provide assistance and give back to the community while at VIM.
Hannah Fritz, a student in the Pharmacy program at Wilkes University joined the clinic to volunteer. Hannah has an interest in focusing on geriatric pharmacy . She is excited to volunteer and experience working in public health.
Students Enjoy & Learn at VIM

VIM hosts a variety of students from the local higher education institutions in the region. Currently, students at VIM are in the following curriculum's;  King’s College Physician Assistant and BSN program, Misericordia Physician Assistant and ESL, Fortis Medical Assistant, Marywood University Master of Social Work, University of Scranton Pre-Med and Nursing, Wilkes University Pharmacy and Nurse Practitioner, and Wilkes-Barre Career and Technical Nursing. The relationship is a win-win for the students and the Clinic. The students get a unique hands-on experience and the clinic depends on them for assistance in particular departments.

These are a few comments from recent students:


“Great variety of learning opportunities!”

“Dr. Feudale was an awesome preceptor. Everyone was so great to work with!”

“Enjoyed the inter-professional experience.”

"The staff allowed me to be myself and taught me to stay positive."

Executive Director attends
VIM Institute meeting
On Tuesday, September 24th, 2019 Kelly Ranieli attended a meeting in Southampton, PA with other Executive Directors from VIM Clinics in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Mark Cruise was appointed in July as the new Chief Executive officer for the Volunteers in Medicine Institute located in Hilton Head. He is visiting and meeting with the 86 VIM clinics throughout the United States and made a stop in Pennsylvania. The group brainstormed on a variety of topics including volunteer recruitment, social determinants of health, medication, technology and governance.
Save the Date
Upcoming Educational Community In-Services
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.
 Tuesday, October 15th
Geisinger's Fresh Food Farmacy
Presented by Allison Hess
 Tuesday, November 12th
Family Service Association
Presented by Atty. Gert McGowan
 Tuesday, December 3rd
Robinson Counseling Center
Presented by Jessica Budzak
 Tuesday, January 14th
2020 U.S. Census
Presented by Katie Derhammer
Maven Project Educational
Teleconference Sessions
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.
The upcoming teleconferences sessions are:

  • October 1st - Chronic Kidney Disease: A Primer for Primary Care Physicians

  • Tuesday, October 15th - Management of Asthma in Adults
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 .
Donate to VIM
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 .
Let's Get Social!
@VolunteersInMedicineWB
Volunteers  in  Medicine 
 190 North Pennsylvania Avenue
Wilkes-Barre PA 18702
Phone: 570-970-2864 | email: vimwb@hotmail.com
website www.vimwb.org