(VIM staff practicing social distancing at a staff meeting (left to right): Alex Hinkle, Cynthia Hunt, Lidia Vasquez, Jennifer Fuller | Photo courtesy of Volunteers In Medicine)
For the safety of our pa.ents, volunteers, staff, and the greater community, VIM has made
the difficult decision to close our physical office and move to a virtual clinic model. Things look a li@le different right now, but we are con.nuing to provide access to healthcare for our pa.ents.
We made this decision with a focus on our pa.ents and volunteers, most of whom are over the age of 65. However, we will remain a resource to help decrease visits to the ER, keep our community safe, and provide access to care for our pa.ents.
We have created a nurse triage program and our staff and volunteer providers have secure access to Epic, our electronic medical record system, from the safety of their homes. If pa.ents have ques.ons or concerns they can call the clinic at (541) 585-9001, and we will be there to help.
In the next week we will establish rou.ne and follow up care with volunteer providers and interpreters. We are ensuring we remain available for urgent needs and ques.ons and will con.nue to help our pa.ents stay as healthy as possible.
Our pharmacy will remain open with procedures to protect against COVID-19 for those picking up medica.ons, in addi.on to 90 days of medica.on being dispensed whenever possible to limit exposure.
Although we miss seeing all our volunteers every day, we know it is important for all of us to maintain social distancing to prevent spreading the Coronavirus. We are taking this opportunity to deep clean the clinic so it is prepped for pa.ent visits when we resume our regular opera.on.
We are doing all we can to op.mize our resources so we can best serve our pa.ents while keeping everyone as safe as possible. During this .me, we will remain a reliable source of healthcare services for those in need. VIM remains dedicated to the health of our community.
About Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades
Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades (VIM) is a nonprofit clinic in Bend that provides free medical care to low-income, uninsured adults from working families in Central Oregon. Our mission is “to improve the health and wellness of the medically uninsured or cri.cally underserved through the engagement of professionals, community partners, and dedicated volunteers.” VIM is the only clinic in Central Oregon that cares for the uninsured without charge. Pa.ents receive primary and specialty medical care, medica.ons, mental health care, surgery, physical therapy, lab work, medical tests, and educa.on programs. All care is provided through medical and support volunteers.
