Patient Eligibility

VIM serves low-income residents of Deschutes County who have no other access to health care. To be considered for eligibility for care at VIM patients must:

• Be a permanent resident of Deschutes County (have lived in the county for at least 90 days prior to applying for eligibility)
  
• Have no health care coverage: including; private or employer-sponsored health insurance, Oregon Health Plan, Medicare, Medicaid, OMAP, COIHS
  
• Meet our income requirements. This varies based upon household size. Please call to see if you meet our guidelines.

*** Patients are screened for eligibility at VIM by appointment only.  Due to the increasing demand for services at VIM, screening appointments  are scheduled by phone, on the first business day of every month, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Please call the front desk at 330-9001 if you have any questions .

Expectation of Patients

Being on time for appointments is very important. We ask that patients arrive early. If a patient arrives late we may not be able to see them.

Referrals to doctors and other care providers outside of VIM must be coordinated through VIM. Unauthorized referrals are subject to billing at the provider’s discretion. 
 
Our doctors are volunteers. This means that our schedule can change with little or no notice. We may need to reschedule appointment times or change the medical provider that a patient is scheduled with.

Not showing up for an appointment is a waste of valuable time. If a patient makes an appointment, they are required to call at least 24 hours before the scheduled time so that we can give the appointment to another patient. Not showing up for appointments will cause patients to lose eligibility at VIM.

The volunteers and staff at VIM are here to help patients get the information, care and support to get better. We ask all patients to take an active role in improving their health and wellness.

We need our very limited resources to go as far as possible. We expect all VIM patients to work with our volunteer providers by following their treatment orders. Refusing to follow treatment orders can result in a patient losing eligibility at VIM.

Patients should ask questions. This provides a better understanding of what is going on as well as helping our doctors know more about patients and their health.

Patients are asked to make donations to support the operation of the clinic. All of the money needed to run the VIM Clinic comes from donations. Even a small donation can go a long way.

Dispensary Information and Hours

 
VIM patients can receive assistance with getting prescription medications through our dispensary. Our volunteers will help patients fill out forms that can qualify patients for medications and we keep a small supply of generic medications for dispensing to patients. We also send many prescriptions out to local pharmacies. We do not prescribe or dispense any narcotics at VIM. Refills must be called in two working days ahead.

Our Dispensary Hours are:

Monday: 1-5

Tuesday: 4-8

Wednesday: 1-5

Thursday: 9-1

Friday: 9-1

Pandemic Influenza Information Resources

For fact sheets on influenza, flu vaccine, use of antiviral medications, home care in a pandemic, isolation and quarantine, coping with serious ilness, and other topics please visit:

Oregon Department of Human Services Public Health Division

www.flu.oregon.gov

Oregon Public Health Hotline: 1-800-978-3040

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm