The Volunteers in Medicine Jax (VIM-Jax) Clinic is a volunteer run medical clinic improving the health of the Greater Jacksonville community by providing free outpatient medical services to the working uninsured. The VIM-Jax Clinic serves the needs of patients that come to receive medical care as well as the needs of volunteers who require a well-organized, safe, and rewarding environment in which to volunteer.
The VIM-Jax Clinic has been developed by the First United Methodist Church, the Historic Mount Zion AME Church, the Episcopal Cathedral, the First Presbyterian Church, the Salvation Army, the County Health Officer, University of North Florida, retired physicians, civic leaders, and the County Medical Society executive. Physician, nurse and non-medical volunteers provide routine non-emergency medical services to our working uninsured who have no medical insurance and no place to go for routine medical care.
The objectives of VIM-Jax are:
Provide free primary care medical and counseling services.
Improve community health through education and preventative medicine.
Encourage care providers and receivers to contribute to the community's well-being.
Promote volunteerism and community spirit.
The care-providers of VIM-Jax are:
Unpaid physician, nurse and non-medical community volunteers.
Community partners providing specific services on an outsource basis.
A small paid staff to coordinate and effectively administer the Clinic.
The care-receivers of VIM-Jax are:
Part of the 120,000 working uninsured of Greater Jacksonville.
The initial service area is limited to downtown zip codes.
Our first year goal is 10,000 to 12,000 patient visits.
Our vision is based on a similar clinic in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The Hilton Head Volunteers in Medicine Clinic opened in 1994 with no state or federal funding. It serves more than 16,000 patients each year through the efforts of volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses, and non-medical volunteers. The founder of the Hilton Head clinic, Dr. Jack McConnell, services as an advisor to our VIM-Jax clinic.
Mission:
The Volunteers in Medicine Jacksonville Clinic is a volunteer run medical clinic that provides primary medical services to the working uninsured of Greater Jacksonville. Operations are funded through private and corporate donations, grants, and on-going fundraising. We have created a compassionate and nurturing environment for patients, volunteers, and staff that is based on our philosophy that (1) healing does not begin with a pill or therapy, but when you greet someone at the door, invite them in, take an interest in their lives, and give them the dignity and respect they often get no where else, and (2) the greatest healing does not go to the patients that come to receive care, but to the volunteers that go to the VIM-Jax Clinic to give care.
Vision:
May we have eyes to see those 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.
Keys to Success:
Quality Management.
Efficient, Low-cost Operation.
Enthusiastic and Committed Volunteers.
Broad Base of Community Involvement and Support.
The VIM-Jax Clinic provides primary care and preventative medical services. Chronic and acute conditions are managed through diagnosis, education, medications, and minor procedures. No emergency services, hospitalizations, major procedures, surgeries, or expensive diagnostic services will be performed. Our focus will be on education, prevention and management of routine medical problems with either inexpensive generic or contributed medications.
Service Description
The VIM-Jax Clinic provides:
Primary Care Outpatient Medical: VIM Jax provides diagnostic and therapeutic services for most medical conditions that do not require surgery. The VIM-Jax Clinic manages routine cases of Hypertension, Diabetes, Asthma, COPD, Coronary Artery Disease, Upper Resiratory Infections, Pneumonia, Urinary Tract Infections, Sinus Infections, etc.
Service Eligibility
To become a patient of the VIM-Jax Clinic the following criteria must be met:
| Residency: | You must live or work in Jacksonville. Initially the city/county limits of Jacksonville and later, anywhere within the greater Jacksonville area. |
| Income: | You must have an income level of not more than 150% of federal poverty criteria (approximately $21,000 per year for a family of four). |
| Uninsured: | You must be without private or government funded medical insurance. If you quality for a government funded medical insurance program, VIM-Jax will provide medical care while enrolling you in the appropriate insurance program. |
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The site of the VIM-Jax Clinic is the former Paulus Music building located at 41 East Duval Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202-3298. Benefits of this location include:
Proximity of downtown transportaion.
Central location with easy access.
Near major downtown hospitals.
Highly visible location.
Adequate Parking.
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To become the home of the VIM-Jax Clinic the building has undergone significant renovation.
The building is owned by The Salvation Army which leases it to VIM-Jax. The building is a one and one-half story structure.
VIM-Jax Business offices:
The headquarters of the VIM-Jax Clinic is on the 2nd floor of the VIM-Jax Clinic.
Phone: 904.399.2766
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