We’re VIM San Diego, but how did we begin?
Our history.
Volunteers in Medicine San Diego (VIM) began in 2003 when two physicians—Dr. Garrett Bradt and Dr. Gresham Bayne—came together with a desire to establish a free clinic in East County. Dr. Bradt was well connected with the United Methodist Church and Dr. Bayne with the San Diego Medical Society.
They had plans to build a new clinic on a site donated by the Chapel of the Valley United Methodist Church. By 2006, with fundraising facing obstacles, they opened a “temporary” modest clinic to bring together willing medical and support volunteers with patients who had no healthcare insurance.
Chapel of the Valley parishioners, along with community members formed their first Board of Trustees. They dedicated their modular clinic in September 2006.
We are a free medical clinic that serves thousands in need each year—there are no charges, bills or insurance forms to fill out. As you can imagine, an accomplishment of this magnitude took a significant amount of time, effort and dedication.
Our journey through the years.
2002: Members of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church begin planning to establish a clinic in San Diego’s peninsula area. Although their efforts are well received, they are unable to locate an affordable, properly zoned site.
2003: We officially became a non-profit organization with the State of California and IRS.
2004: The Chapel of the Valley United Methodist Church in El Cajon generously offers to lease a vacant portion of its campus at $1 per year.
2004: Mascari Warner Architects complete plans for an 8,300 square foot green facility, and a building permit is issued.
2004: Volunteers begin raising the 2 million dollars needed. They face many challenges.
2006: VIM San Diego opens its doors and begins carrying out its mission of ensuring that residents can access healthcare services and support. This takes place in a well-equipped temporary clinic.
2007: Volunteers keep their goal of a permanent facility in site and continue to raise funds despite the challenging economy.
2008: Nearly 1,000 patients receive care.
2009: VIM starts a women’s health screening clinic with a volunteer GYN doctor and nurse who provide preventive services such as mammography and pap tests. Board hires Maureen Hartin, CEO to recruit volunteers and staff and improve operations.
2010: Services expand to include acupuncture and chiropractic care to help patients with pain management
2010: Volunteers increase from 15 to over 100, including a volunteer coordinator that recruits volunteers from physicians to support staff who function as an effective team. Three new board members also join the team.
2011: Patients receiving care more than triples since opening—with volunteers serving over 3,000 in need.
2012: Fundraising efforts continue and so does the amount of generosity from a growing number of volunteers. We add a psychiatrist, urologist and neurologist to our volunteer staff. We receive a grant from the American Medical Association (AMA) to encourage healthy eating habits in our patients and create a patient/community garden, start cooking classes and grocery shopping tours by our dietician.
2013: We care for 3554 patients, with 347 new patients. Our CEO Maureen Hartin is elected to the Board of Directors of California Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (CAFCC) – a statewide association that supports the efforts of free clinics throughout California.
2014: CVS awards us a $30,000 grant for our GET HEALTHY program that will enable VIM patients to learn healthy eating habits, encourage exercise classes in a partnership with the East County YMCA, change generations of bad food choices and learn how to cook healthy food.
2016: VIM celebrates 10 years of caring for the uninsured in East County – we have treated over 20,000 patients.
