Winter 2025 Newsletter
Congratulations Logan & Drew!
It happens every year - we have to say a fond farewell to volunteers or staff members who've been accepted to medical school. We are immensely proud of all of the future doctors who took time out of their busy lives to join VIM San Diego for a time before going on to further schooling. Our partnership with UC San Diego's School of Medicine has brought many bright young people to our clinic, and it is one that has many benefits for everyone - VIM, our volunteers, and our patients.
This time, it's two people - Logan and Drew, who have been invaluable to our clinic over the last two years. Logan moved from volunteer to Operations Manager in 2023, and Drew became the Telehealth Program Manager in the spring of 2023 when the loan of AGNES made our telehealth plans a reality. Both were accepted to medical school last Fall, and are getting ready to head off this Spring.
Here's what Logan had to say about her time at VIM San Diego:
"I began volunteering at Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) in 2020 before stepping into the Operations Manager role in 2023. As I reflect on my time at VIM, I was once an awkward college sophomore, nervous to interact with patients and physicians. Years later, I owe a special thanks to VIM's staff, volunteers, and patients for helping me develop the ethos on which I will build a career as a physician. I am incredibly thankful for the experiences, lessons, mentors, and friends I've gained along the way.
VIM is unique in that it highlights the best parts of healthcare: connecting with and serving patients. To the VIM community: Thank you for your continued service and for making the work we do possible. Your service does not go unnoticed and is life-changing for so many patients. I look forward to supporting the clinic as a volunteer before I begin medical school this fall."
From Drew:
"Serving first as a volunteer for a year and a half and then moving into my position as a Program Manager at Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) has been nothing short of a privilege. Working alongside our amazing physicians and volunteers has taught me more than I imagined when I first started. My experience serving uninsured residents in San Diego is one that I will take with me throughout medical school and my career as a physician.
Grateful to have been accepted to medical school at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Las Vegas, NV, I am excited to start that journey next year. I look forward to watching the evolution of VIM throughout the coming years and continuing to volunteer in the future."
We're so proud of both Drew and Logan, and wish them all the best! Thanks go out to both of them for all their hard work - they will be missed!
Logan (left) with Sonya at an outreach event & Drew with AGNES, our telehealth system
Thank you Charlotte!
After serving as board chair since 2022, Charlotte handed the reins over to Nancy in January at the annual board retreat. We want to thank Charlotte for all her hard work and dedication - the last three years have been full of changes and challenges, and Charlotte met them all with her trademark grin & grit!
Volunteer Spotlight - Kevin Roscoe
Volunteer Spotlight Questions
Volunteer: Kevin Roscoe
Number of Years with VIM: 1
Role: Front desk and event volunteer
Please briefly describe your role at VIM. What do you do?
I set up outreach events with brochures, and perform blood pressure and oxygen saturation percentage checks for our visitors and/or patients. I also perform administrative operations for the medical practice, including patient check-in and check-out, appointment scheduling, insurance verification, medical record management, handling phone calls, and maintaining a positive patient experience at the front desk. The front desk volunteer provides patients with accurate, easily understood information. The person at the front desk is the first person our visitors see first. A simple smile makes patients feel relaxed and comfortable in our clinic.
What motivated your volunteer commitment to VIM? What brought you here?
My parents taught me by example to give back to the community. I enjoy working with our medical professionals and the consistency of compassion provided by the entire VIM team.
Why do you give your time and talents to support our free clinic?
Being a member of the community, I strongly believe in treating everyone equally, with respect. I have worked in the medical field for a couple decades and I have seen the smiles of patients when proper time and care are provided.
What impact do you think VIM San Diego makes on our community?
Simple actions in everyday life can create a big impact on patients’ health. Every person encountered gets the same consistent professional healthcare. VIM uses community resources and participation from local resource vendors to provide integrated services using a community-collaborative model.
Do you have any personal stories that you would like to share as the result of working with VIM?
Working with some patients requires extra time and attention. An outreach group contacted our office with health concerns from two people. Both patients were new to the United States and had no medical insurance, but scheduling them new patient visit appointments provided them with relief and was rewarding for all of us.
Welcome Dr. Bitencourt!
Dr. Nicole Bitencourt joins us this year, bringing her experience in rheumatology, including pediatric rheumatology, as well as previous volunteer experience working with uninsured and under-insured patients. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University & Georgetown University School of Medicine. We're excited to have her on the team!
