The Volunteer Voice
E-Newsletter
August 10th, 2018
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VIM would like to welcome
Dr. Kimmy Nguyen
to the clinic. Dr. Nguyen, an assistant professor at Wilkes University, will now oversee the
Pharmacy program
at VIM. The pharmacology program at VIM has been a core service and a valuable partnership with Wilkes University for ten years. The staff and volunteers are excited to have Kimmy join the team.
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Patient-Centered Medical Home Update
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The most
recent accomplishment
in the PCMH certification process was establishing the
vision
for the
PCMH model
at the clinic.
This week's assignment from the
Americares leadership team
, was to evaluate our
Electronic Medical Records system and its functionality
. The results of this evaluation will help clinic staff identify developmental areas needed to achieve the PCMH certification. It will also assist in providing statistical data that will be used to
produce quality improvement
reports.
Stay tuned for our next update!
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VIM Receives Donation from MotorWorld Toyota
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VIM received a
$1,500 donation
from MotorWorld Toyota towards our Ten Year Anniversary Gala.
MotorWorld Toyota
has been a continuous supporter of the clinic. On August 7, 2018, Kelly Ranieli visited the executives at MotorWorld for a photo opportunity. Their
support and commitment
to the VIM mission is greatly appreciated!
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Pictured from left to right are
Jay Thomas
, Brand Manager, MotorWorld Toyota,
Kelly Ranieli
, Executive Director, VIM,
Rick Osick
, President, MotorWorld | MileOne Autogroup, and
Bob Edwards
, Brand Manager, MotorWorld Toyota.
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Healthy Smiles Program
Visits Local Schools
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On July 30th,
Darcie Schaffer
, Manager of VIM's Dental Clinic, and
Riya Gill
, volunteer receptionist, spent the morning at the
Jewish Community Center Summer Camp
teaching the children
proper brushing
techniques. The children at the camp also taught Darcie and Riya something....how to do the
FLOSS
, a popular dance that children were thrilled to show!
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Darcie and Riya also visited the
Back Mountain Library
on August 2nd. The children enjoyed practicing brushing on
Katie the Kangaroo
and taking home the
hygiene bags
full of goodies.
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Save the Date - Missions of Mercy
June 7, 8 & 9, 2019
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Save the Date -
Missions of Mercy
(MOM) is coming to Luzerne County! The event will be held at the
Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre
. MOM is an annual two-day free dental clinic for under-served Pennsylvanians in which dental treatment is provided at
NO COST
to individuals who cannot afford dental care. The Mission was held in Reading in 2018 and
1,874 people
were provided dental care.
Volunteers of all types will be needed -
dentists, hygienists, assistants and oral surgeons
, to name a few. The event will span four days with setup beginning on Thursday, June 6th.
Clinic days
will be held on Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8th. The event will conclude with a breakdown day on Sunday, June 9th.
More information
will be made available as the event approaches.
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Chelsea Collins, Social Care Coordinator, met with a
new patient
that desperately needed cataract surgery along with treatment for other major health issues. During her eligibility screening appointment, Chelsea recognized that even though she was
working
her
low income level
should allow her to be eligible for Medicaid services.
Chelsea helped
complete
the Medical Assistance application since the patient had blurred vision and had no access to a computer. In only a few days, the patient
received the good news
that she was eligible for medical services and food stamps through MA. The staff at VIM immediately coordinated scheduling her cataract surgery that would
otherwise be unattainable
. In addition, she can exchange her food stamps for
farmers market vouchers
, and will be able to purchase
fresh produce
. The patient is unable to drive to a grocery store but is
able to walk
to the downtown farmer’s market.
This is an example of how
no patient is turned away
even if they aren't eligible for the free services offered at the VIM clinic. The
Care Coordination and Health Equity
program at VIM is very successful in ensuring all patients and even the general public needing assistance receive help to make their stressful lives a little easier.
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Welcome to our New Medical Resident
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Dr. Matthew Kahari
is a
Geisinger Family Medicine Resident
who spent part of his clinical rotation at the clinic this week. Upon completion of his residency, he hopes to practice in
Family and Sports Medicine
. He enjoys volunteer work and providing equal access to healthcare in
under-served communities
.
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Joelle Zakrzewski
, a medical assistant student from
Fortis Institute
, completed her externship at the clinic this week. She enjoyed
her time
at VIM - "I liked everything about my experience at VIM. It was a pleasure getting to know the patients and I will miss all of the
staff and volunteers
."
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On July 30th,
Joan Kwarcinski
, volunteer nurse at VIM, joined
Chelsea Collins
, VIM's Social Care Coordinator, at Mondays at the Market for Health Screening Day. Joan provided
free blood pressure checks
to the folks that stopped by the VIM table.
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Volunteer Needed for Landscaping
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The clinic is in need of a volunteer to do
light landscaping and weed wacking
around the building. If you, or someone you know, is able to lend a hand please call the clinic at 570-970-2864.
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Volunteer Podiatrist Needed
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Many patients come to VIM in need of
podiatry treatment
for conditions ranging from fractures and sprains to arthritis and diabetes.
Dr. Stas was volunteering but unfortunately has moved out of the area. The clinic is now in need of a new
volunteer podiatrist
. If you know of anyone that may want to volunteer one or two 1/2 days a month, please
call Kelly
at 570-970-2864.
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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. If you would like to join us for any of the listed in-services, please
RSVP to Chelsea at
chelsea-vimwb@hotmail.com
or 570-970-2864
. All in-services take place on Tuesday mornings from 9:00 am to 10:00 am.
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August 21st:
An Introduction to Mindfulness
September 25th:
Wyoming Valley AIDS Council
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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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