Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) opened in April to address the great need for medical care for a growing uninsured population. With a full-time nurse practitioner and a volunteer primary care provider available every day, the clinic hopes to serve 16,000 patients its first year. Services include dental care, women’s health, podiatry, a spine and back clinic, and orthopedics, and a neurology clinic opens in November. VIM also has bilingual staff members and one day a week is reserved for Spanish-speaking patients.

"We’ve provided brochures on a variety of topics that ACS has that are bilingual or Spanish only materials," said Tricia. "We let them know that cancer.org and 1-800-ACS-2345 are always available as well."

VIM serves as the new provider for the Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP), which provides free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings to underinsured and uninsured women with the hope of lowering incidence and mortality rates of both these cancers. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 11,150 cases of invasive cervical cancer and 178,480 cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. in 2007.

The program in Monroe County has enrolled more than 120 women since the clinic opened, and with additional grants, the clinic is able to provide free cancer screenings to every enrolled female. If a woman enrolled in BCCP is diagnosed with breast cancer, the program provides assistance with obtaining Medicaid to cover the costs of treatment.

"We are all trying to do as much as we can to get access to those who haven’t had access to cancer screenings and reach as many people as we can," said Elizabeth Sturgeon, executive director of Volunteers in Medicine of Monroe County.

For Tricia, increasing access to cancer screenings is also a personal mission because she knows firsthand the benefits of BCCP. Before working for the Society, she received a Pap test through the program and found out she had dysplasia, which are abnormal but not yet cancerous cells.

Tricia credits BCCP and her provider for helping her prevent a cancer diagnosis. "I share my story when I think it can help others to reach out and use the BCCP program."

ACS and VIM expect more collaborations in the future as they both strive to increase access to care.

"Being a partner with VIM gives us access to people we might not reach otherwise," explained Tricia. "There’s a certain level of trust needed from that population and if their doctor at Volunteers in Medicine says the American Cancer Society can help you, they’re going to listen to that advice."

For more information on the BCCP programs in your area, please call us toll-free at 1-800-ACS-2345.