The Patient Experience
Our patients enter VIM’s office for many reasons—fading eyesight, miscarriages, cancer, a chipped tooth. Our goal is to then discover what each patient needs to build a healthy life—and work together to help them achieve it. There are five components to each patient’s visit.
We hold each patient at the center of our care.
When a patient arrives, they are greeted by someone who speaks their native language. Our patient service managers give them a tour of the clinic and explain what kind of care to expect, and then talk with patients to gather a full picture of their clinical concerns and any other needs. We listen and ask questions with cultural humility, curiosity, and love.
1. Orientation
Nursing staff and volunteer clinicians, with the assistance of language interpreters, treat any immediate clinical concerns. We offer as many services possible in one visit, including medical, dental, optometry, behavioral health, integrated pain management, and women’s health. If a patient needs health care outside of our office, we arrange it and coordinate closely with the provider.
2. Full-Service Clinical Care
3. Care Management
Each patient then sees one of our Medical Assistants who create clear, comprehensive care instructions and arrange transportation, knowing that many of our patients are new to the country or health care system. Patients learn how to retrieve prescriptions, how often they should come in for checkups, and how to manage chronic conditions.
4. Wraparound Social Services
Our Patient Service Managers—all Community Health Workers—then assess any additional needs, including food security, housing, employment, and childcare. They create solutions with the help of community partners.
5. Community Advocacy
and Follow-Up
When a patient is referred outside of our office—from lab work to housing services—we follow up with both the patients and the referral. If it becomes clear that community systems are not accommodating our patients, we advocate for them, joining and creating committees to make change.