Clinic for uninsured citizens to open

The only thing higher than the temperature was the spirits of the 100 people in attendance. \nOn Friday, the Community Health Access Program Clinic officially became the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic. The event was marked by a speech by Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan and a ribbon tying. The clinic, which will provide free health care to the uninsured, will begin seeing patients Monday. \n“This is an excellent example of a community taking care of itself,” Kruzan said. “Bloomington’s reputation just went up another notch.” \nThe clinic raised more than $1.3 million through donations over the past year.\nWinston Shindell, the secretary to the VIM board of directors, marked the event with a ribbon tying to “symbolize the many areas of the community that came together.” The ribbons were tied between two pillars in front of the facility to much applause. \nShindell compared the community’s support to a three-legged stool. The legs symbolized government support, the medical community and the Bloomington hospital, he said. But the focus of the speeches was toward the patients that would benefit.\nOne of those patients is Laurie Curry. Her name was listed in the program, but she had no idea she was supposed to speak. \n“I didn’t know I was going to speak until I got here,” Curry said. \nThat didn’t stop her from giving the most excited speech of the event. \n“If you have never been uninsured in a dire medical situation, then you have no idea (how bad it is),” Curry said. “(The VIM clinic) is going to empower people.”\nVIM faculty gave tours of the facility after the ribbon tying. The facility has six exam rooms, as well as a dentist’s exam room, education and counseling rooms and a pharmacy. There are over 100 doctors and nurses and seven employees on administrative and support staff.\n“It seems big, but we’re kind of packed in here tight,” said Lorraine Addison, a volunteer at the clinic. The building appeared to be about half the size of Woodburn Hall. \nEveryone on staff is a volunteer, including 82-year-old Bloomington resident George Springer. \n“I handle the enrollment questions and verify the patient’s qualifications. It’s very complicated,” Springer said. \nThe qualifications for patients include residency in Monroe or Owen counties, income earnings at or below 200 percent of the poverty level, no health insurance and meeting asset liability requirements. \nVIM in Bloomington was conceived more than a year ago by Dr. Raj Haddawi. He and others were trying to solve the problem of the 16,000 uninsured citizens in Monroe and Owen counties. They got the idea from Bartholomew County, east of Brown County, he said.\nAfter they got the idea, they had to find funding and support. Bloomington Hospital offered over 100 doctors and nurses and the Community Health Access Program Clinic. Various dentists and other specialists also signed on, he said. \nDonations came largely from the community, including a “very generous” donation from Cook Incorporated, a medical company, he said. He believes that VIM will help the entire community, not just those uninsured.\n“(VIM) will improve general well-being … reduce absenteeism of the work place and reduce unnecessary pressure of the emergency room,” Haddawi said. \nVIM volunteers hope that patients are patient with them in the first weeks, Dr. Eric Bannec said.\n“Whenever you start up a clinic, there’s growing pains,” Bannec said. \nThe clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. It will be closed on weekends. \nTo apply or make an appointment, call the VIM clinic at 353-3533.