Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine (LVIM) began as a dream of various community leaders and organizations in 1999. Led primarily by various Watson Clinic physicians and the Watson Clinic Foundation, Lakeland came together to find ways to meet the healthcare challenges of the working uninsured in Lakeland. In 2000, a fundraising campaign was launched which resulted in the dream’s becoming a realty in the old John Cox Grammar School on Lakeland Hills Boulevard.

Now ten years later, LVIM’s vision is, “may be have the eyes to see those who are rendered invisible and excluded, open arms to reach out and include them, healing hands to touch their lives with love and in the process, heal ourselves.”