‘This is a safe place for them’: Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades marks 20 years, accepting new patients

(Update: Adding video, comments from clinic executive director, staff)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With rising health care costs burdening Americans' pocketbooks, a clinic for Central Oregon's uninsured that opened its doors two decades ago, Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades in Bend, is accepting new patients.

The expansion of Medicaid is bringing more Oregonians onto the Oregon Health Plan, so VIM is expanding patient eligibility to fill the gap for those who remain uninsured and are critically underserved.

"The good news for us is that means that we now have room to accept new patients," clinic Executive Director Kat Mastrangelo said Tuesday.

Volunteers in Medicine is a charitable health care clinic, staffed by volunteer health care providers and support volunteers, for low-income working adults in Central Oregon who are uninsured or ineligible for Medicaid (the Oregon Health Plan) and meet the clinic's eligibility criteria.

Front desk supervisor and eligibility coordinator Yannely Nonato said, "Here, the language barrier is non-existent."

"Every time they can't communicate with the front desk, they're always going to be a Spanish speaker," she added. "There's going to be interpreters at their appointments. So we really reassure them that this is a safe place for them."

Mastrangelo said, "There have been some changes at the state level in Oregon to expand Medicaid, which is called OHP here. So as a result of that, many of our patients have been very fortunate to be able to transition to OHP."

To be eligible for care as a VIM patient, individuals must be at least 19 years of age, working and living in Central Oregon (Crook, Deschutes or Jefferson counties), and without health insurance (including being ineligible for or denied by Oregon Health Plan). Individuals must also fall within specific income criteria to be eligible; income requirements vary, based on household size.

To raise awareness and help educate potentially eligible patients, VIM hosts weekly New Patient Intake Nights on Mondays at 6 p.m. at the clinic on the St. Charles Bend campus, at 2300 NE Neff Road. These events are offered bilingually in English and Spanish.

Back when the clinic opened, Mastrangelo recalled, "We were hopeful that maybe 20 years from now, a clinic like ours would not be needed -- and yet, we still are. There are still lots and lots, hundreds and thousands of people who still don't have insurance. So we're really happy that we are still here."

Individuals who may be eligible and/or want to learn more are encouraged to call ahead (541-330-9001) or visit VIM's website at www.vim-cascades.org/patient-information-2/. There is also a Spanish version of the webpage at https://www.vim-cascades.org/informacion-del-paciente/quien-puede-ser-un-paciente/.

There's a clinic open house on Wednesday, March 20th from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. to celebrate its 20-year anniversary. All are welcome to it, and you have a chance to take a clinic tour and learn more about VIM.

About Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades

Now honoring nearly 20 years of caring, Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades provides health care to low-income, working adults who live in Central Oregon and have no medical insurance or means to pay for care. Using a community approach, 200+ in-clinic volunteers and 300 local medical partners collaborate to provide patients with necessary primary and specialty medical care, prescription medications and mental health care. Patient costs of about $154 per visit are funded by patient donations, along with local and regional individual, corporate and foundation supporters. Because of the dedicated efforts of our volunteers, every $1 raised is leveraged into $3.82 worth of services, generating more than $150 million worth of care since VIM opened in 2004.

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Here's Tuesday's announcement of the 20-year open house:

VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE CLINIC OF THE CASCADES CELEBRATES 20 YEARS WITH OPEN HOUSE EVENT

Bend, Ore. Feb. 9, 2024--Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades (VIM) is celebrating 20 years of providing medical care in its clinic to the uninsured and critically underserved in Central Oregon. Join volunteers, staff, and patients on March 20th from 5:30-7pm at the clinic, 2300 NE Neff Rd on the St. Charles Bend campus. Volunteers will offer clinic tours and visitors will be able to talk with clinic stewards and learn more about the history, and future, of VIM Cascades.

Volunteers in Medicine’s (VIM) history is one of vision, compassion, and dogged determination. The story began in 1999, when a small group of people decided to tackle a growing healthcare problem in Deschutes County. The goal: to find the most effective and cost-efficient way to care for low-income, working residents who weren’t receiving the medical care they needed because they were uninsured.

In April 2001, Amy R. Hamlin, Executive Director of the VIM Institute, was invited to speak to a group of concerned community leaders, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare specialists, to solicit broader interest in tackling the growing problem of the uninsured in Deschutes County.

Out of that meeting, a steering committee was formed, with Jim Petersen and Dr. Ron Carver as Co-Chairs of the 10 member committee, and the idea of a community clinic quickly gained momentum. It would require a collaborative effort of local talents and resources. The plan was to recruit both retired and active medical professionals as volunteers, with the promise that they could practice the art of medicine without having to deal with the business of medicine.

Once Petersen, Jim Lussier, and Dr. Stan Shepardson presented the idea to other Central Oregon leaders, it quickly gained momentum. The Bend group became a member of the national Volunteers in Medicine Alliance for guidance to ensure the clinic’s success.

In November 2001, Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades (VIM) received its 501(c)3 non-profit status and the real work began. Patients were first seen in a space donated by Deschutes County, but the long-term vision was to be a free clinic that worked and felt like any other medical office.

In 2003, Bend residents Les and Judy Alford donated $750,000 of the $1.1 million needed to construct a free-standing building, and St. Charles Medical Center agreed to lease the land for $1 per year. With these two acts, the dream for VIM was well on its way to being realized. The clinic building was dedicated in March of 2004, and VIM was able to expand its care for the uninsured, debt-free.

Currently, VIM patients receive a coordinated system of health care that can include primary and specialty care, prescription medications, mental health care, and/or basic dental care, as needed. Patients must qualify for services every 12 months and have a family income of less than 300% of the federal poverty line, or less than $93,600 annually for a family of four. All care is still provided without charge, but we encourage patients to contribute donations as they are able.

Since the clinic opened, we’ve provided over $151 million in medical treatment and services to the local community and served 15,732 patients who would not have had consistent healthcare without VIM. One day we hope our patients won’t need us. But until then, we’ll be here.

About Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades

Now honoring nearly 20 years of caring, Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades provides healthcare to low-income, working adults who live in Central Oregon and have no medical insurance or means to pay for care. Using a community approach, 200+ in-clinic volunteers and 300 local medical partners collaborate to provide patients with necessary primary and specialty medical care, prescription medications and mental health care. Patient costs of about $154 per visit are funded by patient donations along with local and regional individual, corporate and foundation supporters. Because of the dedicated efforts of our volunteers, every $1 raised is leveraged into $3.82 worth of services, generating more than $150 million worth of care since VIM opened in 2004.