Volunteers In Medicine in Schuylkill & Carbon Counties

01/24/2026

Hey folks, we just want to give you a heads up that we will be closed on Monday but we will be open on Tuesday and accepting patients for the afternoon. We will still have the HIV Clinic at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Please remember to reserve your spot between 11:00 and 1:00 p.m.

01/14/2026

There are important resources available in Schuylkill and Carbon Counties for people who do not have access to medical services..

Volunteers In Medicine in Schuylkill & Carbon Counties is a non-profit clinic offering free primary health care to adults who live or work in the area and do not have adequate health insurance.

This Thursday, January 22, we will be pleased to host Bob Alonge CEO of Volunteers in Medicine, who will share more about the services they offer and how they support our community.

FRATELLOS BISTRO
420 Nichols St
Pottsville PA 17901
5:00PM - 7:00PM

***In Schuylkill and Carbon Counties, there are important resources for individuals who lack access to medical care.

Volunteers in Medicine is a nonprofit clinic providing free primary healthcare to adults who live or work in the area and do not have adequate health insurance.

This Thursday, January 22, we’re honored to welcome Bob Alonge, CEO of Volunteers in Medicine, who will share more about their services and how they support our community.

FRATELLOS BISTRO
420 Nichols St
Pottsville PA 17901
5:00PM - 7:00PM

01/06/2026

The Community HeARTbeat Initiative

The Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) model is founded on the principle of holistic care, treating the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. We are launching a vital capital campaign to establish a first-of-its-kind multi-service center that expands our impact beyond the clinic, creating a true community hub. This new facility will seamlessly blend essential medical and social services with dedicated, accessible arts programming designed to foster healing, connection, and social well-being.

A Vision for Holistic Wellness

While the center will provide core VIM services—free and low-cost primary medical care, dental services, and mental health counseling—its distinguishing feature is the integration of a vibrant community and arts center wing. We recognize that social isolation, stress, and lack of creative outlets are significant barriers to health. By offering a sanctuary for self-expression and community building, the center addresses these challenges directly. This space will act as a preventative and therapeutic tool, ensuring our neighbors have access not just to prescriptions, but to purpose.

The Arts as Essential Medicine

The arts center is designed to be a flexible, welcoming space for all ages and abilities. The facility will feature:

Community Gallery & Exhibition Space: A rotating gallery dedicated to showcasing the talents of local, emerging, and underserved artists. This promotes cultural enrichment within the community and provides a sense of visibility and worth to creators.
Creative Workshop Classrooms: Dedicated rooms for scheduled art, pottery, textile, and digital media workshops. These classes will often be run by volunteer artists and used for therapeutic group sessions focused on trauma recovery, stress reduction, and building fine motor skills.
Multi-Purpose Performance Hall: A flexible black box space equipped for music lessons, theater rehearsals, poetry slams, open mic nights, and community town halls. This area will serve as a powerful engine for social connection and dialogue.
Healing Arts Studio: A quiet room specifically dedicated to practices like meditation, gentle movement, and specialized art therapy sessions led by certified mental health professionals.
Impact and Call to Action

The Community HeARTbeat Initiative will transform the lives of thousands of underserved individuals annually. By providing a safe space where individuals can receive high-quality medical care in one wing and engage in self-expression and community building in the next, we are setting a new standard for integrated care. Our goal is to reduce hospital readmissions, decrease mental health crises, and, most importantly, create a stronger, more connected, and healthier community.

Your donation is an investment in this revolutionary model. Help us prove that art and community are essential components of comprehensive health care.

01/06/2026

01/02/2026

This news is just out. Health insurance will be rising $186% in Schuylkill County. Volunteers in Medicine is here to help those that are in need.
Call us to make an appointment.

01/02/2026

WHAT MAKES VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE UNIQUE...and different from
other noble, non-revenue-driven organizations?

While all of these organizations do good work, VIM occupies a unique niche that appeals to those looking for local, sustainable, and relationship-based impact.

​Here is a comparison of VIM against three other major types of non-profit healthcare models to help you make a persuasive case.

​1. VIM vs. International Crisis Groups
​Comparison: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) or Mercy Ships
​These organizations are famous for high-intensity, life-saving work in crisis zones or underserved foreign nations.
​The Difference:
​VIM is Local: Instead of flying to a war zone or a developing nation, VIM serves the "hidden" neighbors—the uninsured working poor in your own community. It appeals to the desire to "bloom where you are planted."
​Sustainability vs. Emergency: Crisis groups often leave once the immediate emergency is over. VIM clinics are permanent fixtures, building trust and community health over decades.

​Workforce: MSF often requires active-duty professionals ready for grueling conditions. VIM is specifically designed for retired or semi-retired professionals, allowing them to extend their careers in a low-stress, high-joy environment.

​The Convincing Argument for VIM:
​"If you want to see the direct impact of your work on the streets you drive every day, choose VIM. It allows retired experts to give back without the physical demands of crisis medicine, creating a long-term safety net for our own community."

​2. VIM vs. Pop-Up Event Models
​Comparison: Remote Area Medical (RAM)
​RAM organizes massive, weekend-long pop-up clinics in fairgrounds or stadiums, treating thousands of people in days.
​The Difference:
​Continuity of Care: RAM provides incredible episodic care (pulling a tooth, checking vision), but they cannot treat chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension effectively because they are gone in 48 hours. VIM provides a "medical home," managing chronic diseases year-round.
​Patient Experience: Pop-up clinics often involve patients waiting in line for hours (or days) in the cold. VIM clinics operate by appointment in facilities that look and feel like private practices, preserving patient dignity.
​The Convincing Argument for VIM:
​"VIM doesn't just put a band-aid on a problem; it cures it. By offering a permanent medical home, we treat the root causes of chronic disease that kill the working poor, treating patients with the dignity of a private appointment rather than a long line in a parking lot."

​3. VIM vs. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
​Comparison: Community Health Centers (government-subsidized clinics)
​FQHCs are safety-net clinics that receive federal funding and charge patients on a sliding scale based on income.

​The Difference:
​The "Gap" Population: FQHCs are vital, but they are often overwhelmed and must charge small fees. VIM targets those who fall through the cracks—often making too much for Medicaid but not enough for insurance—and charges $0.
​Bureaucracy vs. Freedom: Because VIM relies on philanthropy rather than government billing, providers are free from the "billing treadmill." They can spend 45 minutes with a patient if needed, rather than the industry-standard 15 minutes.
​Culture: VIM is famous for its "Culture of Caring." Since everyone is a volunteer, no one is "working for the weekend." The atmosphere is often described as joyful and pure medicine.

​The Convincing Argument for VIM:
​"VIM is medicine the way it used to be. Because we don't rely on insurance billing or government quotas, our doctors can actually listen. It’s the only place where the provider and the patient are both there solely because they want to be."
The "VIM Magic"
Ultimately, the unique "special sauce" of VIM is the restoration of the doctor-patient relationship.
In a VIM clinic, no money changes hands. The doctor is not there for a paycheck, and the patient is not there to be processed. This creates a pure therapeutic relationship based solely on trust and gratitude, which Dr. McConnell described as "healing the spirit" of both the patient and the physician.
Would you like to know how to find a VIM clinic near you, or how to get involved as a non-medical volunteer?

Call us 570-617-4620

12/19/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/17t1XMyt9Q/

POTTSVILLE — The director of a local medical nonprofit is proposing an ambitious community facility that would house a clinical care center alongside art and performance venues. Bob Alonge, CEO of …

12/18/2025

As the year draws to a close, we are deeply grateful for the generosity of Mayor-Elect Tom Smith, who has donated his entire mayoral salary to Volunteers in Medicine. This incredible gift will help us further our mission of providing free, compassionate healthcare and mental health services to adults in Pottsville and throughout Schuylkill and Carbon Counties who are uninsured or underinsured.

This season of giving reminds us that every contribution—whether time, resources, or financial support—makes a meaningful impact. With the help of dedicated community leaders, volunteers, and donors, we can continue ensuring that financial circumstances never stand in the way of quality medical care.

If you’re able, please consider supporting our mission with a year-end, tax-deductible donation or by giving your time. Together, we can build a healthier future for our neighbors.

👉 Donate now and make an immediate impact:
https://gofund.me/7d0e3cd38

🌐 Learn more: www.vimscc.org

📍 1 S. 2nd St. (3rd floor), Pottsville, PA 17901