Volunteers In Medicine America has an Immeasurable Impact on Every Community We Touch.
Since 1993, VIM has assisted in the development of free primary health care clinics for the uninsured. These facilities have expanded access to quality health care for low income people throughout the country. Today, 94 clinics continue to follow the VIM free clinic model. There is an enduring interest in this distinctive health care model, with more than a dozen new sites in development.
Affiliate Clinics
Patients Served
Medical Visits
Dental Visits
Counseling Visits
Dr. Helmer, volunteer at VIM of Cape May County and the Parker Family Health Center
Is your clinic a 501c3 nonprofit, or are you part of a 501c3 nonprofit organization?
Do you provide quality primary care, behavioral health, and/or dental care for low income, uninsured patients?
Does your clinic provide all health care services free of charge to patients, without billing third party payers?
Does your clinic have a at least one well-respected “Provider Champion,” a leader who recruits other healthcare professionals and effective advocates for the clinic within the larger healthcare community?
Is your clinic staffed primarily with medical and non-medical volunteers, tapping into the local pool of retired professionals when possible?
Does your clinic environment reflect an inclusive “Culture of Caring” for all patients, volunteers, and staff?
Want more information on joining VIM America? We’re here to help.
The Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) Model promotes a "Circle of Caring"
Being inclusive and welcoming to all is the foundation of the VIM Model. The Circle of Caring” recognizes the strengths of those in need and respects their dignity. It prompts the idea that the manner in which people are treated during a visit to a VIM clinic is as important as the medical care they receive. Perhaps most importantly, it recognizes that those providing care are also receiving care from those they serve. It is encapsulated in the Volunteers in Medicine Vision Statement:
Vision
May we have eyes to see those who are rendered invisible and excluded,
Open arms and hearts to reach out and include them,
Healing hands to touch their lives with love,
And in the process, heal ourselves.
Each VIM clinic is community-owned and supported, providing many benefits to its members:
- VIM clinics provide primary care services to the medically underserved and their families
- Hospitals benefit from a decrease in non-urgent care for patients visiting their emergency rooms and unnecessary admissions related to untreated chronic conditions
- Medical volunteers are able to practice pure medicine without the business of medicine
- Non-medical and community volunteers are able to support their neighbors in a nurturing, supportive environment
Patients are treated as friends and neighbors, not as diseases or numbers
Join Our Network
Interested in developing a free health care clinic? Let an experienced Volunteers in Medicine America staff member guide you through the development process, providing direction, inspiration, and support along the way.
Volunteer
If you treat your neighbor like yourself, you’ll always find hope.
Volunteer at a VIM Clinic today!
Find A Clinic
Volunteers in Medicine clinics uphold the VIM Model, providing free health care services to the uninsured and medically underserved in their communities. Each clinic is locally managed and independently operated.