Funds Available for VIM Clinics

We are pleased to announce the availability of a small amount of funding from a national organization for distribution to Alliance Clinics in June!  This is the first time the VIM national office has received a contribution targeted for direct service by VIM clinics.  Watch for a late May on-line discussion group email notice, announcing how your clinic can receive funds from this generous organization!

VIM Alliance 2008 Survey

We would like to thank all those who participated in the VIM Alliance 2008 Survey.  Your responses are important in determining future offerings by the national office and to better evaluate the impact of the Volunteers in Medicine network.

Despite opening 10 new clinics in 2008, the number of patients seen in the network decreased slightly from 2007; however, the number of patient visits increased substantially. This trend reflects the preponderance of chronic illness care being provided throughout the VIM network.

See the VIM Alliance 2008 Survey Results for a complete summary of the survey results. A copy of the survey is also available on the Resources for VIM Clinic page of our website.

The national office has already begun to contact clinics for assistance with request from the national media. Thank you for your willingness to share your interesting, heartwarming stories about volunteers and patients.

Email Signatures, a Low-Cost Marketing Tool

Think of an email signature as a virtual business card. Email signatures are an effective, low-cost marketing tool for your clinic.  An email signature is personalized information that is automatically added to your outgoing emails.  This information tells the recipient who you are, the name of your organization, how to reach you, and where to find additional information about your clinic.   

To build a brand or recognizable identity for your clinic, everyone within your clinic should use the same signature format.  While the sender’s name, title, and direct telephone extension will change within the email signature, the clinic name, website address, and tag line will remain the same for all clinic members.

By incorporating the tag line “Member of the Volunteers in Medicine Alliance” you are demonstrating your clinic’s association with a broader network and connecting the good work of your clinic to the larger effort of Volunteers in Medicine.    

Email signature example:
Name
Title
Organization name
Address
Telephone number
Website address
Tagline – “Member of Volunteers in Medicine Alliance”

Since your email address will already be included in the “from” field and will be forwarded with an email that’s passed on, it’s not necessary to include your email address in the signature.

Review email signature for instructions on creating an email signature using Microsoft Outlook 2003.

2nd VIM National Conference Update

In the September 2008 newsletter, we announced the possibility of hosting the 2nd national conference in Spring 2009.

We understand the importance and benefits of providing a forum for all VIM Alliance members to meet face-to-face to network and exchange ideas. Therefore, we have targeted November 13-15, 2009 in Washington, DC for the conference. Please save the dates!

Additional details about the conference will be posted soon on the email discussion group.

News from VIM Alliance Clinics

We invite VIM Alliance members to share stories about successful fundraising events, clinical programs, awards, and other news items of interest. Please send your news stories to skelley@vimi.org so that we may consider them for publication in our newsletter. Thank you.

Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center

Volunteers in Medicine (Stuart, FL)

In late April, Dr. Howard E. Voss, the Medical Director, for Volunteers in Medicine in Stuart, FL will be presented with a national honor for volunteerism from the American College of Physicians.

Volunteers in Medicine (Bloomington, IN)

Dr. Haddawi, the founding physician for VIM in Bloomington, IN received the State of Indiana's Governor's Award for Volunteers. The clinic received the Excellence in Community Involvement from the O'Bannon Insititute.

St. Vincent de Paul Community Health Clinic

The St. Vincent de Paul Community Health Clinic in Port Charlotte, FL was featured in a short documentary - Angels of Easy Street.