The Volunteer Voice
E-Newsletter
April 12th, 2019
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Happy Easter & Passover from VIM
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The staff would like to wish a
Happy Easter
&
Passover
to all of our volunteers, supporters and donors!
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Thank You to VIM's Volunteer Receptionists
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VIM would like to
recognize
and thank all of our
volunteer receptionists
. They assist with answering calls, scheduling appointments and checking in patients upon their arrival at the clinic.
Over the past eleven years, many
wonderful individuals
have donated their time to this
invaluable position
. Students from local universities and technical colleges also assist with reception responsibilities while completing internships or rotations at the clinic. Below are the current core group of receptionists that regularly volunteer at the clinic. Their
ongoing commitment
and dedication is truly appreciated!
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Pictured above from left to right clockwise: Diane Kleynowski, Mary Burns, Joseph Butkiewicz, Paula Parikh and Pam Shonk.
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Pictured above from left to right clockwise: Karen Thompson, Annette Miskiewicz, Riya Gill, Rhoda Moses and Debbie Hollander
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Don't Save the Date!
The event is imaginary; but the need is real.
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This year, we invite you to
NOT save the date
for the Music, Medicine and Memories Gala on Friday, June 14th, 2019!
Our feet are still hurting from dancing to Lady Gaga last year at the Ten Year Anniversary Gala!
VIM is inviting our friends and supporters to put on your lounge wear, prop up your feet and
enjoy a relaxing evening
at home. The 2019 Gala will be the
best event you don’t have to attend and the easiest way to make a difference
. All sponsorships and donated funds will go to
direct patient care
.
As a sponsor, the clinic is requesting that you send a picture of what you are doing on June 14th, the "
imaginary date"
of the
“Stay at Home” gala
. Those pictures will be converted into a video and will be shown at an
“appreciation reception”
that will be held at the end of June. An invitation will be sent to all the sponsors with additional details about the reception.
Stay tuned for more information!
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Congratulations Dr. Mahima Singh,
VIM's Dental Director
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Dr. Mahima Singh
, Dental Clinic Director, was recently crowned Ms. Pennsylvania America 2019! She will be representing Pennsylvania as a finalist at the
Ms. America Pageant 2019
aboard the historic Queen Mary in Long Beach, California on August 22nd-24th. Dr. Singh will use this platform
to help increase the awareness and importance of oral health.
“I did it for my mom, to show her I will live my life to its fullest potential and be
a role model for my daughters
the way she has always been to us. It’s not about winning a title and it’s not a life changing event but it’s a lot of
personal growth during the journey
because of how much you are pushed to believe in yourself and the people who support you along the way so you can achieve your goals.
The reward is in using the title to help others
." - Dr. Singh
Join us in wishing her luck this August!
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Leckey Live Broadcasts from VIM
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On Tuesday, April 2nd,
Ryan Leckey and the WNEP news crew
broadcast live from the clinic to help promote MOM-n-PA, a two-day free dental clinic that will serve 2,000 patients at
Mohegan Sun Arena
on June 7th & 8th. The staff enjoyed having Ryan on-site and are looking forward to volunteering at the event.
Click the link below to view the
live broadcast
and
to
learn more
about how you can help.
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Welcome Back
Dr. Herb Weinman & Don Dolfi
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After winter vacations, the clinic would like to welcome back
Dr. Herb Weinman
, volunteer physician, and
Don Dolfi
, volunteer IT technician. Their time and services were
greatly missed
over the last few months.
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Patient Success Story:
Clinical Pharmacy Program Makes a Difference
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A
54-year-old male
, began seeing Dr. Kimmy Nguyen, Clinical Pharmacist, and Wilkes University pharmacy students in September 2018 for diabetes management. His A1c level was
extremely elevated
at 12.8%. An A1c shows how well a patient’s diabetes is controlled. When the A1c is >7%, the patient is at risk of
developing complications
of long-term high blood sugar, like worsening vision,
poor kidney function, and nerve pain (neuropathy). The VIM Pharmacy program worked with the patient to educate on the importance of medications, diet, and exercise in order to help lower the A1c to a goal of <7% so that he
could remain healthy
for his family. He began
exercising
regularly and
being mindful
of his carbohydrate intake. The patient never missed an appointment and brought his son as a translator and his grandson for moral support. After six months, his A1c
dropped to 6.3%
in March 2019!
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Community Resource Guide Available at VIM
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The clinic recently updated the
Community Resources Guide
that is provided to patients. This guide lists additional resources available throughout
Luzerne County
including pregnancy centers, food banks, and drug and alcohol treatment centers.
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Social Care Coordinator Presents at Misericordia University
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On Tuesday, April 9th,
Chelsea Collins
, Social Care Coordinator, and
Sara Herr
, Master of Social Work Student, presented to faculty, students and community members at
Misericordia University
. The presentation was part of the Office of Service-Learning's Community Lecture Series designed to
expand awareness of critical community needs
and services provided by local organizations.
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Welcome to Our New Students
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Sarah Trump
is a nursing student from Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center's
Practical Nursing Program
. She began her six-week clinical rotation last week and will be assisting with patients on Mondays and Wednesdays. Sarah is originally from
Millville, PA
, and would like to work in a hospital setting upon completion of her program.
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Haley Kennedy
is a medical assistant student from
Fortis Institute
. She is excited to complete her clinical rotation at VIM so she can develop new skills and gain additional medical knowledge while
giving back
to the community.
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Free Clinic Association of Pennsylvania's Annual Meeting
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On Friday, April 26th, the
clinic will be closed
as the staff will be attending the Free Clinic Association of Pennsylvania's Annual Meeting in
Harrisburg, PA.
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Healthy Smiles Program
Visits Local Preschools
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Darcie Schaffer
, VIM's Dental Clinic Manager, spent time presenting the "Healthy Smile for a Healthy Start" Program to
three local preschools
recently. The children enjoyed listening to a story about visiting the dentist and also practicing
proper brushing techniques
on Katie the Kangaroo!
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Small Wonders in Wilkes-Barre on Friday, March 29th
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Magic World Child Care Center in Nanticoke on Friday, April 5th
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Back Mountain Day Care in Shavertown on Tuesday, April 9th
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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
chelsea-vimwb@hotmail.com
or 570-970-2864.
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Tuesday, April 16th
Disparities within the Hispanic population
Presented by Dr. Andrea Mantione from the University of Scranton and the Leahy Clinic
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Tuesday, May 28th
Victims Resource Center
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Patient Centered Medical Home Update
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The clinic has begun the
Work Plan
stage of the PCMH certification process. Staff have been working to standardize policies and procedures and additional training is being provided to volunteers and providers on
added features
in Medent, the clinic's electronic medical records system. Some of the updates include
patient discharge summaries
and patient education materials which will enhance the quality of care that is provided.
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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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