Volunteers In Medicine Berkshires Inc

VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE BERKSHIRES, INC. (VIM BERKSHIRES) PROVIDES ACCESS TO FREE, HIGH-QUALITY, COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE TO 1,000+ INCOME QUALIIFIED ADULTS LIVING AND WORKING IN THE BERKSHIRE REGION WHO ARE CURRENTLY UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED. VIM BERKSHIRES ENVISIONS A SOCIETY IN WHICH EVERYONE HAS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE GOOD HEALTH. WHEN MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE HEALTHY, IT EASES THE STRAIN ON OUR HOSPITALS AND MAKES OUR LOCAL ECONOMY MORE VIBRANT.

SEE SCHEDULE OAT VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE (VIM) BERKSHIRES, WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO FREE, COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE FOR THOSE IN THE BERKSHIRE REGION WHO ARE INCOME QUALIFIED AND INELIGIBLE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. WE ENVISION A SOCIETY IN WHICH EVERYONE HAS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE GOOD HEALTH.VIM BERKSHIRES' SERVICES INCLUDE: COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL AND RESTORATIVE DENTAL CARE, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, OPTOMETRY, NUTRITION COUNSELING, EXERCISE THERAPY, THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE, ACUPUNCTURE, NON-OPIOID PAIN MANAGEMENT, AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT. USING A TEAM OF VOLUNTEER CLINICAL PROFESSIONALS AND THE SUPPORT OF A SMALL PAID STAFF, OUR SERVICES - ALL PROVIDED UNDER ONE ROOF IN A MODERN, UP TO DATE MEDICAL/DENTAL FACILITY - ALLOW FOR A COLLABORATIVE, INTEGRATED MODEL THAT RESULTS IN HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH OUTCOMES.A TEAM OF VOLUNTEER MEDICAL DOCTORS, NURSES, AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS PROVIDE BASIC PRIMARY CARE AND REFERRALS TO TREATMENT OF COMPLICATED URGENT AND ACUTE ISSUES. VOLUNTEER DENTISTS, HYGIENISTS, AND DENTAL ASSISTANTS ARE COMPRISED OF IN-PRACTICE AND RETIRED PRACTITIONERS. BEHAVORIAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY VOLUNTEER PSYCHIATRISTS, LICENSED THERAPISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, AND PSYCHOLOGISTS. VIM BERKSHIRES ALSO COORDINATES SERVICES AND HELPS PATIENTS NAVIGATE OUR LOCAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. MORE THAN 95% OF VIM BERKSHIRE'S MEDICAL PATIENTS ARE MINORITY IMMIGRANTS, AND THIS PERCENTAGE CONTINUES TO GROW ALONG WITH THE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR REGION.TO QUALIFY FOR SERVICES AT VIM BERKSHIRES, PATIENTS MUST NOT EARN MORE THAN 300% OF THE POVERTY LEVEL. AT LEAST HALF OF VIM BERKSHIRES' STAFF AND MANY OF ITS VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING ALL OF ITS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, ARE IMMIGRANTS, REPRESENTING THE COUNTRIES AND CULTURES OF OUR PATIENTS. THIS ALLOWS VIM BERKSHIRES TO ESTABLISH AN ATMOSPHERE OF TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING THAT IS UNIQUE AMONG HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS.A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALTHSTUDIES FROM THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION AND OTHER MEDICAL AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS HAVE SHOWN THAT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, I.E., THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH PEOPLE LIVE, LEARN, WORK AND PLAY, DETERMINE APPROXIMATELY 80% OF A PERSON'S OVERALL HEALTH. EVERY PATIENT IS CAREFULLY SCREENED TO ASSESS ANY BARRIERS TO GOOD HEALTH SUCH AS HOUSING, FOOD INSECURITY, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND THEN REFERRED TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. THIS IS TREATED AS A FULLY INTEGRATED COMPONENT OF OUR PATIENTS' HEALTHCARE.VIM BERKSHIRES DURING COVIDTHROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, VIM BERKSHIRES NEVER CLOSED ITS DOORS. WE HAVE CONTINUED TO TREAT PATIENTS IN THE CLINIC AND QUICKLY STOOD UP A ROBUST TELEHEALTH SYSTEM. THE GOAL HAS BEEN TO KEEP PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS HEALTHY AND-VERY IMPORTANTLY-AWAY FROM HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS WHILE ALSO ADDRESSING ACUTE SITUATIONS. DESPITE NATIONAL STATISTICS REGARDING OUR PATIENT DEMOGRAPHIC-WHICH SHOWED THAT WORKING AGED LATINO MEN DIED FROM COVID AT SEVEN TIMES THE RATE OF THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS-NOT ONE OF OUR PATIENTS WAS HOSPITALIZED OR DIED FROM THE DISEASE. TO WHAT DO WE ATTRIBUTE THIS SUCCESS? HEALTHCARE ACCESS. BECAUSE OUR PATIENTS HAVE FREE, QUALITY, COMPREHENSIVE CARE THROUGH VIM BERKSHIRES, THEY ARE ABLE TO BETTER MANAGE THEIR CHRONIC HEALTH ISSUES AND AS A RESULT WERE IN A STRONGER POSITION WHEN COVID HIT.VIM BERKSHIRES ALSO HAS TAKEN A LEAD ROLE AMONG LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS TO COORDINATE OUR COMMUNITY RESPONSE. IN ADDITION TO HELPING PATIENTS ACCESS AVAILABLE RESOURCES, WE HAVE RAISED AND DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN $500,000 TO HELP PATIENTS PAY FOR RENT, HEAT, ELECTRICITY, PHONE SERVICE, FOOD AND MORE. CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS A PRE-REQUISITE FOR GETTING BACK TO WORK AND RE-OPENING THE ECONOMY, HAS BEEN A CENTRAL FOCUS OF THIS EFFORT. BY THE NUMBERS: NINETEEN YEARS OF OFFERING CARE; 7,339 PATIENT VISITS, LAST YEAR,REPRESENTING CARE FOR 1,230 PATIENTS; 57 VOLUNTEER CLINICIANS AND 112 NON]CLINICAL VOLUNTEERS; 1,056 REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS OUR PATIENTS' SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH; AN AVERAGE OF 64 RIDES PER MONTH. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEDERAL CARES ACT PPP GRANT AND SOME STATE-PROVIDED "PASS-THROUGH" FUNDING DURING COVID TO HELP PATIENTS PAY FOR BASICS, ALL OF OUR FUNDING HAS BEEN AND IS PROVDIED BY INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES, OR FOUNDATIONS.