VIM receives award

Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of Hilton Head Island has received the Heritage Award from the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, an honor recognizing a nonprofit organization for lasting and meaningful contributions to the community.

Dr. John Newman, the clinic’s executive director, accepted the award alongside Mary Ellen McConnell, widow of the clinic’s founder, Dr. Jack McConnell.

“We are incredibly honored and pleased to know that you all know about and value what our organization is doing in our community,” Newman said during the ceremony. “We often think that not enough people know what we do here at VIM, but tonight you proved us wrong.”

Volunteers in Medicine, commonly known as VIM, provides medical services to residents in need. Newman said the clinic’s work extends beyond basic care.

“We are not just a clinic where folks go to get a bandage or a vaccine,” he said. “We treat the entirety of a person’s health – from diagnosis to treatment to follow-up to wellness-centered living to prevent diseases and improve overall health.”

Newman said the recognition reflects the efforts of the clinic’s volunteer base.

“We accept this award on behalf of the hundreds of talented and devoted volunteers at our clinic,” he said. “We are grateful to the Chamber and all the businesses in the community that support our mission.”

Dr. Jack McConnell founded the Hilton Head clinic in 1993 as part of the Volunteers in Medicine model, which supports community-based, volunteer-driven health care for uninsured patients.