Help to Fund Volunteers in Medicine

Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Tennessee (VIM) is a 501(c)3 nonprofi t health clinic, providing preventative and maintenance healthcare for uninsured adults between the ages of 18 and 64. VIM is a free health clinic where volunteers with different medical backgrounds assist in patient care and organization of clinic operations. The clinic’s patients are all uninsured, low-income adults who cannot afford medications and are not on a controlled substance such as narcotics. VIM relies on community donations to keep the clinic open.

Although the clinic is located in Franklin County, VIM has received increased referrals from Coffee, Grundy, Lincoln, Marion, Moore, Sequatchie and Warren counties. For the year 2015, patient growth has doubled to 1,700 patients. The care team includes three nurses, two physicians and one nurse practitioner. The specialty physicians include three gynecologists, a cardiologist and a chiropractor. There are an additional 12 volunteers from Sewanee’s Bonner Program, Canale Program, Diabetes Education Program and Pre-Med Program. These volunteers have logged more than 1,500 volunteer hours.

VIM is requesting funding for its Diabetes Program. Each month VIM diagnoses approximately 15 new patients with diabetes. The insulin companies changed their patient assistance programs, and now most VIM patients are unable to get their insulin for free. Seventy-five percent of the SCC funding will go to the purchase of diabetes meters, testing strips, syringes, lancets and insulin. The remainder of the funding will go toward paying for the patients’ lab work.

The goal of the Sewanee Community Chest is to help citizens by funding the community. The Community Chest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible. Send your donation to Sewanee Community Chest, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375. Donate today.