Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine (CVVIM) understands that affordable health care is one of the most important issues for many people in the United States. To this end, it continues to offer local solutions to a national dilemma by providing a variety of services and medical care free of charge to adults in the Coachella Valley who are un or underinsured.
There are nearly 30,000 people who don’t have insurance in the Coachella Valley, and they’re not necessarily undocumented people, says Doug J. Morin, executive director of CVVIM. These are people who work two, sometimes three or more jobs, simply to support themselves and their families. And none of these jobs offer them health insurance. And they never earn enough to be able to afford health insurance.
He is quick to note that in many cases, employer-provided health insurance does not always meet certain medical needs, thus forcing individuals to qualify for Medi-Cal plans or even subsidized plans.
The people who clean our homes, our swimming pools, take care of our lawns or care for our loved ones must be in good health, Morin says. And if not, guess what? Just think of the flu or COVID-19. Everyone should be doing something, somewhere, to help people access the primary care services they need.
CVVIM has two clinics in the area: VIM Health Center is located in Indio; another center is in Palm Springs. The centers treat the whole person by treating chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Acute conditions including flu, colds and emotional health are also treated.
CVVIM is a member of Volunteers in Medicine, a leading national nonprofit alliance with more than 90 free clinics across the country. Recently, the organization received a grant from the FitzDell Gifting Fund through the Inland Empire Community Foundation.
Grants like this are vital for us, says Morin. People tend to think that because we are a medical clinic that we charge insurance or receive reimbursement for the services we provide from, say, the county or state, and that is simply not true . All services we offer are free to patients. We only accept patients who are low income and do not have health insurance or cannot afford to use their health insurance.
Other issues also come into play when evaluating assistance. For example, a person may have health insurance but need their doctor to agree to certain services that can cost hundreds of dollars or more. For some, that amount of money is the difference between buying gas for a car to take the kids to school, going to work, or putting food on the table.
Grants like this make the basic work we do even more possible, says Morin.
Events and fundraisers also provide a boost. For example, the popular VIMY Awards and Live Auction took place on November 4. The event honors significant contributors to overall health care in the region. This year’s recipient was former Bishop Howard Lincoln of the Catholic diocese. Lincoln is also a leading philanthropic force at Eisenhower Health and has been instrumental in providing unique programs addressing the needs of poor and homeless communities, as well as providing significantly life-changing solutions.
Elsewhere, expect another round of the Bermuda Dunes Celebrity Classic golf tournament, presented by the Hale-Rodman family, kicking off in May 2024. Morin says the combination of grants and grassroots fundraising helps the organization meet annual costs and maintain health care. and various afloat programs.
We give people a place to receive primary care so they can stay healthy, Morin says, noting the myriad of preventive health and wellness programs the organization has. A lot of what we do here is educating people on various health-related issues, which saves money in the long run. It saves money for the individual, it saves costs for the community, it saves money for future insurance costs.
Learn more about Coachella Valley Medicine Volunteers at cvvim.org.
The Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy. Learn more at iegives.org.
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