CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE − Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) is set to celebrate its culture of caring and celebrate the special people who provide the care on Sept. 21 at Icona Diamond Beach.
Now in its 23rd year, VIM is a 501(c)3 non-profit, and volunteer-based free clinic that provides free care to the uninsured and underserved community. The clinic in Cape May Court House has been in continuous operation since 2002.
VIM has a team of more than 100 volunteers comprised of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, administrative professionals and students.
The clinic focuses on primary health care, disease prevention, patient education and more. It is not a walk-in clinic; patients must meet specific criteria and then register to be seen.
At this year’s celebratory event, VIM is honoring the volunteer of the year, nurse Joan Ryan, and the physician of the year, Dr. Andrew Sitkoff, DO. VIM also is honoring Lower Township as a Partner in Caring.
Physician of the year Dr. Andrew Sitkoff
Dr. Andrew Sitkoff spent his career as a primary care physician in West Chester, Pa. He is certified in internal medicine and geriatrics.
“I retired about three years ago and moved to Cape May,” Sitkoff said. “I was really kind of reluctant to give up taking care of patients because I really loved it.”
Sitkoff said he began working at the VIM clinic when he retired. In the height of his career, he said he was busy managing his practice, taking care of patients in the hospital and working several half-days at a retirement community.
“When I began looking for a way to volunteer and give back, [Volunteers in Medicine] was the perfect opportunity because it takes care of uninsured people,” Sitkoff said. “I didn’t get to do that while I was working and now I am giving back to the community.”
Connecting with patients and forming bonds of trust is a gratifying aspect of volunteer work for Sitkoff.
“I’m very happy to be honored,” he said. “I’m part of a big team and I feel like I’m sharing the honor and the privilege of taking care of people with the whole team.”
VIM Executive Director Jackie Meiluta said Dr. Sitkoff makes a special effort with patients, including taking the time to learn another language to be able to communicate with patients who prefer to speak Spanish.
“Not all senior doctors have that wherewithal to learn a second language, and he made that a goal,” Meiluta said.
Volunteer of the year Joan Ryan
Joan Ryan spent 30 years as a nurse working for Virtua in Burlington County. When she and her husband moved full-time to their Sea Isle City property, she cut her hours and continued to commute.
“I retired in 2014 and really did miss it a lot and drove by Volunteers in Medicine one day and wondered what it was,” Ryan said. “I had been looking at different things to volunteer for and it fit the bill for me.”
Ryan added that she wanted to find an opportunity that provided a fun yet stimulating experience, like in her previous work.
“Joan is a lovely nurse and didn’t want to give up volunteering and work in general when she moved full-time to Sea Isle City,” Meiluta said. “She sought us out and she worked at our night clinic with our cardiologist.”
VIM allows its volunteers to pick their schedules and Ryan said she usually volunteers three to four days a month.
“It’s really a remarkable to find a wonderful organization where everyone is 100 percent there for the person in front of them, to make them healthy and comfortable,” Ryan said. “I don’t feel like I’m doing anything different than anyone else.”
Ryan said she was very surprised and happy to receive the volunteer of the year honor.
“Our medical director thinks that [Joan] is one of the most competent nurses we have,” Meiluta said. “She’s well loved by everyone.”
Clinic operations
Meiluta has been with VIM for 15 years, initially starting as a volunteer.
“When I first started, they did not have an executive director [because] the organization was young and the board was very hands-on,” Meiluta said. “They saw the need for clinic leadership, so this has been my job for the last 12 or so years.”
Meiluta enjoys the hands-on aspect of her work and said she does what needs to be done to ensure the clinic continues to operate. She does the organization’s grant writing, marketing, and general fundraising, and manages the two thrift stores in Cape May Court House and Seaville.
“Our economy is tourist based and about 34 percent of the people in Cape May County live paycheck to paycheck and do not work the types of jobs that offer health insurance,” Meiluta said. “We have a crazy system in America of linking health insurance to your job.”
Paying for a doctor’s bill, blood work, or the cost of imaging can be extremely difficult for those living paycheck to paycheck, Meiluta added.
“This year things have been very unsettled, for lack of a better word, with all of the political unrest,” she said. “It affects non-profit funding and even our patients.”
The VIM celebration event is also set to honor Lower Township, one of the community Partners in Caring.
“They have allocated a line item in their budget every year since we opened,” Meiluta said. “Through changes in administration, they’ve continued to protect that line item and we really appreciate that.”
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
