The Volunteer Voice
E-Newsletter
June 21st, 2019
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Today is the
first official day of summer
! The staff hopes you enjoy the sunshine and have time to
relax with family
and friends.
"Summertime is always the best of what might be."
- Charles Bowden
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VIM's 2019 "Stay at Home" Gala
Thank You to Our Sponsors & Donors
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The clinic would like to
express our sincerest gratitude
to all of the sponsors and donors that supported VIM's 2019 "Stay at Home" Gala. This year,
all sponsorships and donated funds will go toward direct patient care
. Each contribution will assist the clinic with keeping our low-income neighbors
healthy, well and working
!
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Relax Under the Stars Sponsors
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Moran Industries
Mr. Michael & Dr. Kathleen Hirthler
Mr. Andrew J. & Dr. Susan F. Sordoni
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Understand the Mission Sponsors
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Gertrude McGowan and Family
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Dr. Frances Feudale
Stephen & Maria Hudacek Family Foundation
John & Lynn McCarthy
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To view the full list of 2019 sponsors, please click the link below.
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On June 7th & 8th, the clinic's staff and volunteers participated in the
Missions of Mercy Wilkes-Barre event
at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Over 1,630 patients in need waited in line for hours to
receive free dental care
. It was truly a
remarkable and memorable event
for all who participated.
The clinic would also like to give
special recognition
to
Darcie Schaffer
, VIM's Dental Clinic Manager, and
Dr. Richard Grossman
, volunteer dentist at VIM. Darcie served as the Volunteer Chair and recruited over
950 volunteers
to provide care to patients. Dr. Grossman was the Co-Chair of the event and organized providers, solicited funding and served as a
spokesperson for the local MOM-n-PA committee
.
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Another patient
graduates from VIM's Pharmacy Program
! A 50-year-old male patient began meeting with the Pharmacology staff in April of 2019 for newly diagnosed diabetes and high blood pressure. His hemoglobin A1c of 7.2% put him at a
higher risk of developing complications
from diabetes. Through education on diet, exercise and medication adjustments, his A1c decreased to 5.7% in just three months and his
blood pressure is now at goal
!
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Pictured above are the patient and Meghan Dixon,
a pharmacy student from Wilkes University.
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Welcome to Our New Students
and Volunteers
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Emily Barbella
is a Physician Assistant student from King's College. She spent time at the clinic last week
observing Dr. Frances Feudale
, VIM's Medical Director. Upon completion of her program, Emily would like to practice in the
emergency medicine
.
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Bethanie Jones
is a Physician Assistant student from King's College. She spent time at the clinic this week observing Dr. Feudale. Bethanie
begins her clinical rotations
on July 8th and is looking forward to
gaining a better perspective
on the area she would like to practice. She is currently interested in Oncology & Cardiology and enjoyed her time at VIM -
"this was a great experience!"
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Andrea Nale
is a Resident from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. She spent time at the clinic last week
observing Dr. Martin Freifeld
, volunteer gynecologist. Although Haley is still uncertain of exactly what specialty field she would like to practice in, she is very interested in
OB-GYN and Endocrinology
. She chose to observe at VIM to experience a day in the life of a doctor and to meet new people.
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Brandy Stribaugh
is a medical billing & coding intern from the
Fortis Institute
. She is happy to complete her internship at the clinic - "
I love everything about VIM
. It's a non-profit, has wonderful volunteers and helps those that are in need."
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Candy's Place Presents at Monthly In-Service
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On Tuesday, June 18th,
Lisa Orlandini
, Executive Director of
Candy's Place
, presented to the staff and volunteers at the clinic's monthly in-service. Lisa spoke about the
free services available at the center
for males and females over the age of 18 that have any type of cancer diagnosis.
Mike Hage
, a client at Candy's Place, also spoke about how he utilizes the services. His
cancer survival story is truly inspiring
and all of the attendees enjoyed speaking with him.
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Senate Bill 25 One Step
Closer to Becoming a Law
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On June 10, the
Senate Appropriations Committee passed SB25
by a vote of 23-to-1. Senate Bill 25 is a piece of legislation that seeks to grant independent practice authority to
certified registered nurse practitioners
(CRNPs) and is crucial for patients who deserve high quality health care, increased access to care, and lower costs. Senate Bill 25 will now move to the House for consideration and a vote can take place any day.
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Free Tick Testing Available for PA Residents
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According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
, Pennsylvania has had the highest number of Lyme disease cases in the U.S since 2000. In order to help combat Lyme disease, the
Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab
at East Stroudsburg University is providing
free tick testing
for PA residents. Within three days of the lab receiving the tick, a technician will provide the results to the person, who is often anxiously waiting. If you’ve been bitten by a tick and want to get it tested, you can
find more information at
www.ticklab.org/
. To read the full article on tick testing and the work of the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab, click the link below.
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Patient Centered Medical Home Update
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During this week's PCMH call with the Americares team, the staff
reviewed the remainder of Phase 1
. The staff also submitted documents from Phase 2 of the certification process to the Americares team for review. The clinic is right on track to obtain the
Patient Centered Medical Home Certification
by June of 2020.
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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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