More than 20,000 patients
have been served at Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine.
THE PROBLEM
Bankruptcies resulting from unpaid medical bills will affect nearly 2 million people this year *. About 56 million adults between the ages of 19 and 64 in America will struggle with health-related bills *. Whether the company they work for doesn’t offer insurance or their family can’t afford what insurance is offered, families are left with nothing and no backup plan for if things go wrong. That’s where Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine steps in.
Our Solution
LVIM provides FREE, primary medical, dental and mental health care to those who are working and uninsured in Polk County, FL.
With the help of more than 4, 800 volunteers and 500 volunteer doctors, dentists, and ARNPs, since 2001 LVIM has done the following…
See What We Offer Below
General Services
- Primary and Specialty Care
- Dental Services
- Pharmacy & Prescription Assistance
- Opthalmology & Vision Services
- Lab Services
- Limited Surgical Services
- Pathology
- X-Ray & Ultrasound
- Patient Education
- Mental Health
Pharmacy
Through the Pharmacy Program, LVIM improves the health and well-being of patients. The majority of LVIM’s patients have chronic or multiple chronic conditions that require multiple patient visits as well as multiple prescriptions and if not properly treated complications can lead to hospitalization or event death. LVIM’s pharmacy carries an array of generic medications and does not deal in any narcotics whatsoever. Additionally, LVIM coordinates prescription assistance through major pharmaceutical companies in order to meet the need of patients who require name-brand drugs or in cases where there is not a generic option. LVIM’s pharmacy program helps patients get well and stay well so they can get back to what is important to them – living life.
Dental
The comprehensive dental services provided by LVIM include:
• Initial dental assessment and pain relief if needed
• Development of a Treatment Plan
• Cleanings and oral hygiene education
• Diagnostic X-rays
• Fillings
• Extractions
• Repair broken teeth and buildups
• Referrals to endodontists, periodontists, and oral surgeons as needed.
Chronic Disease Management
At LVIM, when a patient is diagnosed with a chronic disease, the patient is referred to a chronic disease clinician and an initial evaluation is performed with the patient. This evaluation includes medical history, lifestyle choices, baseline testing, personal goals and clinician goals. From there, a plan of action is developed, implemented and monitored. At LVIM the most prevalent chronic diseases are diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol. In 2017, LVIM implemented specific progress monitoring measures to ensure that the healthcare LVIM provides is making a measurable difference for our patients.
Early Detection Saves Lives
Patients at Lakeland Volunteers In Medicine (LVIM) receive recommended annual health screenings as outlined by the United States Preventative Services Task Force, ensuring that those who are diagnosed with cancer, chronic diseases, or other potentially lethal illnesses are able to access the treatments needed to get well and stay well. This helps patients avoid trips to the ER that often result in expensive care that becomes burdensome on both families and the hospital that cannot recoup the cost.
The Patient’s Story
Click below to watch the stories of patients who are the true testimonies
of the LVIM mission and the ‘culture of caring’ here at LVIM.
Amanda Cooper with her healthy & happy children.
Anthony Staples smiles again.
Terry Schmelzer will see her daughter graduate.
Deirdre Rahming
Dr. Drew Agnini, president of the Polk County Dental Association, performs dental procedures May 15 on a patient at Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine, a free volunteer clinic in Lakeland.The right side of her face ached for months before Deirdre Rahming finally got dental treatment. She needed a tooth pulled and fillings, but the mother of two had no extra money and no dental insurance. At a hospital emergency department, a doctor wrote her a prescription for pain medicine, she said, but she couldn’t afford it either. Relief came in May after a tooth was pulled. She then got fillings May 15 at a free, volunteer dental clinic at Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine. Dr. Drew Agnini, president of the Polk County Dental Association, Dr. David Neal and Dr. Matthew Agnini were the volunteer dentists that day. Drew Agnini, former association president Dr. Gregory Scott and others are urging more local dentists to do the same. Ideally, Agnini said, they hope to recruit a dozen or more team leaders to set up their own monthly clinics. The dental lab at LVIM is updated and equipped, he said, and there’s no shortage of patients in need. The Florida Department of Health also provides dental care at LVIM, 1½ days per week, said Susan McPhail-Taylor, the department’s dental division administrator. Despite efforts, the LVIM clinic’s waiting list for dental help is long. “We had 142 people on it in early June,” said Kim Katsaras, director of operations at LVIM. “That’s just our patients. In the whole county, there are thousands.” More than 1 in 5, or 23 percent, of Polk County residents are uninsured, according to county rankings done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
By Robin Williams Adams
THE LEDGER Published: Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at 11:39 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at 11:39 p.m.
