DIVERSITY AT VIM

The heart of the VIM family is the individual volunteer. They not only are VIM’s lifeblood but also VIM’s ambassador to the community. It is important that all of us at VIM– staff, lay and medical volunteers, and Board volunteers-unanimously understand VIM’s position on all issues of importance to VIM.

The diversity of the Board probably reflects the diversity of the volunteers. There are many different political leanings on the Board and the Board collectively is pretty eclectic. The Board does feel unanimously however that matters affecting VIM are not personal issues but positions that need to be taken in accordance with VIM’s Mission Statement.

The VIM Mission Statement is as follows: “Our primary mission is to understand and serve the health and wellness needs of the medically underserved population and their households, living and/or working on Hilton Head and Daufuskie Islands.”

VIM has always provided excellent medical care to its patients, regardless of their color, religion, age, nationality, or language skills. VIM purposely does not take any governmental (tax) funding so that it can operate outside of the political sphere. We have qualifications for our patients that are well known and clear, and they do not relate to immigration laws.

Simply put, if you live or work in our qualifying area and qualify on the income level with no reasonable access to healthcare, you qualify as a VIM patient. As such, you are entitled to expect to be treated courteously, respectfully, compassionately and professionally. This is the way VIM was set up to operate years ago at its inception and this is how we have operated ever since.

Like all successful organizations, VIM has been a victim of its own success. We are treating more people in our community than ever before and that is placing a burden on everyone who works at VIM. More importantly, VIM is doing more good for those in need, and for the community at large, than it has ever done before. Your efforts touch more lives than ever before.

Nationally, we are all focused on macro-political problems, including the immigration issue. Much of our patient care growth these past several years is due to a large influx of Hispanic families in our community. VIM’s perspective on these families is that they are members of our community; that they and their families need our help; that being sick and poor are conditions that are color-blind and language-deaf.

The ethnicity of our patients has changed but our mission at VIM remains the same. We will continue “to understand and serve the health and wellness needs of the medically underserved population and their households, living and/or working on Hilton Head and Daufuskie Islands.”

DIVERSITY AT VIM