More than 25,019 patients
have been served at Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine.
THE PROBLEM
There are 83, 362 individuals in Polk County who do not have health insurance*; that’s nearly 12% of our total population.
72,359 of these individuals are adults between the ages of 18 and 64. They are parents, artists, servers, and health care workers. They are students, self-employed entrepreneurs, lawn care technicians, and more!
LVIM exists to fill the gap in healthcare coverage for those who are working and uninsured. Our patients do not qualify for government assistance, but cannot afford the price tag of high cost health insurance premiums.
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 when things go wrong. Without assistance, families rely on the emergency room as their healthcare provider, the bills rack up, often resulting in personal bankruptcy. Or, worse, these individuals are caught with few resources and often feel they have no choice but to let chronic illnesses go untreated, often resulting in worse outcomes than if treatment had been available.
That’s where Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine steps in.
*Data provided by Polk County Health and Human Services Indigent Health Care Department
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.
Doris Stephens
Doris Stephens spends her days making life beautiful for others.
Through her work in the aquaculture industry, Doris brings nature indoors by supplying wholesale tropical fish to pet stores and aquarium maintenance companies both locally and throughout the United States. She is the worker of magic behind the aquatic scenes you can see in doctors’ offices, restaurants and pet stores.
Doris works hard and enjoys her job. But, in 2013 she wasn’t feeling well.
Her employer does not offer health insurance and the premiums available to her through private insurance were, and remain, cost-prohibitive.
She had nowhere to turn for help.
That’s when Doris found LVIM. Doris picked up the phone and was met by the compassionate voice of a dedicated volunteer on the other end of the line. When she arrived at LVIM for her initial appointment, she was suffering from hypertension, high cholesterol, and was pre-diabetic. Her arthritis was complicated by her weight, causing her severe pain, and though she soldiered through this pain made working difficult.
Through the help of her primary care provider, Emma McMicken, and her own motivation to join a Weight Watchers program, Doris has now lost 72 pounds. She has taken advantage of LVIM’s partnership with the YMCA (thanks to a generous grant from the Give Well Community Foundation) and has joined the Wired Up Walking program led by one of LVIM’s Physical Therapists, Elsa Nail.
Five years later, Doris has found health and wellness again.
We are happy to report that in addition to her incredible weight loss success, her blood sugar is now normal and she is no longer pre-diabetic. The arthritis that plagued her is now under control and she has been able to stop taking some of the medications she previously needed.
Doris is one of more than 4,000 patients who call LVIM their medical home.
She is one of the many your investment in LVIM has helped.
About LVIM, Doris says, “I am truly grateful for all the volunteers at LVIM. They give of their time so that I – and all of LVIM’s patients – have a better and healthier way of life. LVIM restores my faith that there is still good in the world. To all of the donors, partners, and volunteers who invest in LVIM, YOU ALL ARE TRULY AMAZING!”
