Good Deeds: VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE

Sep 2012 Article by: chris carney | Photography by: lucky wenzel

The amazing people that run charitable organizations all have the same major issue: lack of awareness. In a world where there is so much need, where there are so many worthy causes and deserving programs, the most difficult task facing these organizations is awareness.

It was this hurdle that Dr. Florence Jameson, founder and CEO of Volunteers in Medicine, stressed to me above all others. She didn’t focus on the crippling difficult organizational processes or the massive stress involved with acquiring funding or the heartbreak volunteers face when they realize how much still needs to be done. It was awareness. In a sea of amazing causes Dr. Jameson’s cites Volunteers in Medicine’s main problem is “making the public aware we are here.”

“Volunteers in Medicine is about bringing together two groups of people: the medically needy that desperately need access to healthcare, especially those with chronic illnesses, and those possessing the expertise and great desire to run a clinic.”

In January of 2010 the very first Volunteers in Medicine free clinic opened in Paradise Park in Southeast Las Vegas. Before then, this valley of nearly two million people was devoid of a place where the uninsured in desperate need of medical care could turn. “It is such a duh, a no brainer that every city needs a clinic like this one,” Dr. Jameson tells me. Before Volunteers in Medicine that type of clinic did not exist in Las Vegas. And before Volunteers in Medicine awareness of the need was also non-existent.

To make Las Vegas stand up and take notice, Volunteers in Medicine holds an annual Volunteers in Medicine Ball to raise both awareness and funding. “The Ball raises almost two thirds of our annual operational budget for the upcoming year,” explains Dr. Jameson. Without the Volunteers in Medicine Ball the clinic would have remained a wisp of a dream.

This year’s festivities will be held at The Palazzo on Saturday, Oct. 6. Not only does the Ball bring together those capable of giving with those who do the organization’s work, it is also a place to “honor three shining stars who work tirelessly to make an impact on health care in our community.”
The Community Service Honoree, Aurora Wong, is an attorney by trade who “leads the charge” of the HepBFree community outreach program that provides screenings, vaccinations and treatment to Asian Pacific Islanders who are at highest risk for the disease.

The Volunteerism Honoree is Mary Adler. Adler has been with Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada as a volunteer since its inception. As unit secretary for the clinic, Adler processes numerous patient assistance applications. “She is an all-round hero to the success of VMSN.”

This year’s Lifetime Achievement in Medicine will be awarded to Dr. Jerry Cade, an immunologist, currently serving as the Director of Viral Treatment Specialty Service at UMC. For over two decades, he’s been active in the Las Vegas community helping those affected with HIV/Aids. “When others were afraid to lend a hand, Dr. Cade was there.”

At Volunteers in Medicine “750 volunteers create a beautiful symphony of loving acts of kindness.” For Dr. Jameson awareness leads to action, both in the donation of desperately needed funds, as well as the volunteering of time, equipment, medications and skills.

I’ve been lucky enough to interview numerous influential people in the Las Vegas philanthropic community, and I have found the one trait they all share is gratitude. Dr. Jameson is an amazing, giving woman. At the end of our interview she thanked me—a simple journalist—for giving her my time. These astounding words of heartfelt gratitude truly bring home the main issue that organizations like Volunteers in Medicine face: awareness. Perhaps, in a small way this article will help to raise that awareness and inspire action.