3RD ANNUAL WINELOVER’S AUCTION SLATED FOR
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH AT THUNDERBIRD COUNTRY CLUB!!!
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The 3rd Annual WineLover's Auction has evolved into a signature event refl ective of the extraordinary
volunteers and donors of CVVIM. The event will take place at the historic Thunderbird Country Club in
Rancho Mirage, on February 17, 2018 and, as in years past, will feature both a live and silent auction.
It promises to be overfl owing with fi ne wines, exquisite auction items and good-hearted generosity.
We are excited to announce our 2018 Presenting Sponsors –
Desert Regional Medical Center and
JFK Memorial Hospital. Palm Springs Airport Wine Storage
is our Wine Storage Sponsor and other corporate sponsors include
Regional Access Project Foundation, Renova Solar, and Solis Wealth Management.
We would like to welcome Aliede Bennett to our Event Steering Committee. Aliede will join co-chairs Dr. Roy Pitkin and Joe Gandolfo. Dr. Ron Hare is also a committee member.
Contact Sara O’Flynn @ sara.ofl ynn@cvvim.org or 760-625-0737 if you would like to volunteer to secure auction items or help organize the event. Any help will be greatly appreciated!! Please visit the WineLover’s Auction website @ www.wineloversauction.com for event updates, to purchase tickets, and/or make a donation.
Last year’s WineLover’s Auction raised over $300,000 and sold out! We’re so very grateful to all of you who made this possible. Please spread the word and tell your neighbors, friends, and colleagues about this fabulous event. They won’t want to miss it!
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Last February, at the auction table
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CVVIM PROVIDES MEDICAL OUTREACH SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS
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In May of last year, our Board of Directors approved a new program for CVVIM: Medical Outreach Services to Homeless persons. Rosa Lucas, FNP-C, a founding CVVIM Board Member who remains active on our Board of Directors and as a medical provider in the Clinic, is the driving force behind this program to provide services to unsheltered individuals, primarily in the Indio and Coachella areas of our Valley.
Since June 7th of 2016, Rosa and her volunteer team of physicians, medical residents, nurses, behavioral health volunteers, a massage therapist and numerous other support volunteers, leave the clinic around 6 pm to visit known homeless encampments on the eastern edges of Indio and Coachella. Working closely and alongside volunteers from The Narrow Door, who distribute meals to the homeless, these Street Medicine volunteers provide care and support services to an average of 10 – 20 homeless people each week, rain or shine. Treatment for minor skin infections and irritations are by far the most common complaints seen, but volunteers also provide care for diabetes, minor infections, hypertension, neuropathy, substance abuse and other ailments. When a more sterile environment is needed for treatment, or the medical issue is more severe, individuals are scheduled for an appointment at the CVVIM Clinic on the following day. Volunteers also provide preventive treatments such as flu vaccinations, or free over-the-counter aids and medication, such as eye drops during times of dusty
and dry days, sunscreen to help prevent skin cancers, water for hydration, even a yoga blanket for a
dry night’s sleep. Referrals to other community services are also provided.
Now in their 15th month of providing these services – and yes even when the temperatures topped out over 100 degrees - 268 individuals have been seen by our homeless medical outreach team of more
than 20 volunteers. Sometimes it’s just once. Other times it’s three, four, or even more times for those individuals who remain in the area. They have cared for men and women of all ages and ethnicities, some with families and others without. Ask any of the volunteers from the beginning what their most profound memory is though, and they will likely tell you it was the evening when humidity was high and the temperature was around 108 degrees and they discovered an eight-month-old baby, alone, wrapped in a blanket in a tent, out of the sun, but suffering from severe dehydration. Obviously this case required involving the proper authorities, who transported the child to a local emergency room, as well as searching for the parents who had endangered this young child’s life.
Truly, the work these volunteers are doing is exceptional, and unfortunately, very much needed in our Valley. Thank you to all of them, and to Rosa, for her dedication and commitment to those most in need! A special thank you as well to those of you who have helped us carry out this program with your in-kind and cash donations!
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STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WISH GLORIA JARA A FOND FAREWELL
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One of our original volunteers, giving more than 1,500 volunteer hours at the Clinic before becoming our Front Office Coordinator early in 2016, Gloria resigned in August. Gloria was known and loved by patients and volunteers alike for her warm smile, bright and welcoming face and big hugs, which she offered freely, and often. We all wish Gloria well and hope the best for her as she ventures on to new responsibilities and activities.
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Thank you to
Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, Supervisor, 4th District, County of Riverside for a $10,000 grant to install exterior lighting at our clinic, improving safety of volunteers and patients alike. The
Guillermo J. Valenzuela Foundation granted us $15,000 in support of our Women’s Health and Wellness programs.
The Springs Woman – The Springs Country Club, Rancho Mirage, presented a $10,000 check at a luncheon in April. Funding will assist our homeless medical outreach program and other services provided at our clinic. Most recently, the
Desert Healthcare District awarded us $121,500 to provide medical and dental care to District residents, as well as medically supportive services such as health education, case management and hearing assessments.
We appreciate the support from these, and other foundations, that make our services possible. We sometimes forget to offer appreciation to others who donate in-kind services to us year-round –
Burrtec Waste Management, GLI Landscaping, Duran’s Pest Control and Kaiser Permanente. Thank you! The services these companies provide have a positive effect on our budget and we are grateful for all you offer. Of special note as well,
The Tracy Lane Foundation reimburses us for all laboratory costs for PAP smears, a vital service through our Women’s Wellness Program.
To these, and so many others, we appreciate your support, and thank you for helping us to make a difference for so many of our Valley neighbors!
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GRATEFUL PATIENTS AND A GRATIFIED PHYSICIAN
– A PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS.
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Back in 2011, I suffered from serious withdrawal. Not from any drug, but from patient care. After more than 25 years seeing patients, I became frustrated that my skills would disappear and guilty that my
new-found freedom from working 70 hours each week would result in squandering all those years of training.
Luckily, I turned to Google, and with a few clicks, I found just the potion I needed: CVVIM. And after a chance meeting with Dr. Les Zendle, and the minimal but necessary paperwork, I started to see patients. Most weeks, Thursday mornings are my CVVIM morning. Up early with a sense of purpose, a venti Americano from Starbucks, and an 18 mile drive, gets me to a fulfilling time and place. The Front Office staff greets with a hearty, “Good Morning”; truth be told though, it’s more of a robust, “Buenos Días”. Our medical and nursing assistants sing the same reprise.
Our patients are so grateful. Many have not seen a medical provider for years. Virtually everyone is from somewhere else, but not solely Mexico. We have even seen patients from Russia and Poland. Some feel sick with dripping colds and coughs. Others are well, looking for a thorough physical, basic lab work and a flu shot. So many of our patients have adult onset diabetes and hypertension, epidemic in the United States, with treatment formerly out of their reach. I don’t even think about prescribing any medication advertised on television. Our folks need low cost generics, lots of education and reassurance. In my whole career, I have never heard so many, “Thank you, doctor. I don’t know what I’d do without you all. ¡Muchisimas gracias!”
It’s hard to know who benefits more, patients or volunteers. Everyone wins!
Stewart Fleishman, MD, holds Board Certifications in both Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Psychiatry and Neurology. He has been a volunteer medical provider since 2014.
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SARA O’FLYNN ONBOARD AS EVENT MANAGER
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CVVIM welcomes Sara O’Flynn as Event Manager for our annual signature, fundraising event, WineLover’s Auction, scheduled for February 17, 2018 at Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage.
Sara brings with her a strong background in event planning as Director of Marketing and Sponsorship for The Gardens on El Paseo from 2004 through 2013. She has also held several volunteer and board positions within the Coachella Valley community including; Chair of the City of Palm Desert Marketing Committee, as member of the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce Executive Board, and as a volunteer for Sacred Heart School, Xavier College Preparatory High School, and Guide Dogs of the Desert.
“We’re excited that Sara is joining our organization as she brings years of experience, enthusiasm for our mission and a clear understanding of what CVVIM provides to our community. The annual WineLover’s Auction is our main fundraiser and fast approaching its third year. Having Sara dedicated to this event as part of CVVIM is critical to its success,” shares Doug Morin, CVVIM Executive Director.
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HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE LEGACY YOU WILL LEAVE?
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At some point, many of us do, oftentimes making a decision to leave a final gift in our will or estate plan for our favorite charity.
Our Board of Directors understands and realizes the importance of this decision, as well as the serious consideration you give to it. That’s why they have considered this gift option carefully to ensure that when you choose to make a legacy gift to CVVIM, you can feel comfortable in knowing your gift will be treated respectfully and used wisely, helping to ensure our community’s health for years to come through the programs and services of CVVIM.
If you would like more information on making an estate gift or becoming a Legacy Society member, please visit our website at www.cvvim.org, or call the CVVIM Legacy Society Chair, Ross Hollenkamp, at 612-360-7979 or CVVIM Executive Director, Doug Morin, at the CVVIM office: 760-625-0760.
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A MESSAGE TO OUR FRIENDS IN NAPA, SONOMA & MENDOCINO COUNTIES...
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We are deeply saddened by the devastation caused by wildfires in Northern California. We know there are no words that can ease your loss, and hope there can be some solace in knowing our thoughts and prayers are with you.
From the CVVIM Board of Directors and staff, the WineLover’s Auction Steering Committee and volunteers.
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Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine provides no-charge primary healthcare
to medically underserved adults residing in the Coachella Valley
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Everyone deserves the dignity of healthcare.
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