SERVICES
Eligibility Referral Network Patient FAQ's Medical Dental
Pharmacy Optometry Services Not Provided
Eligibility
Who is eligible to receive care at the Clinic ? Anyone who meets all of the following four criteria:
(1) You must have lived or worked in Pulaski County , Arkansas for at least the last three (3) months;
(2) You do not have private medical insurance, and are not eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits, or ARKids First;
(3) You must be between the ages of 13 and 64; and
(4) Your income must not exceed 200% of the Federal Poverty Level based upon the size of your immediate family [SEE CHART FOR SPECIFICS ON HOW THIS IS DETERMINED]
Recertification : The Clinic recertifies the eligibility of its patients every few months from their starting certification date. If you haven’t visited the clinic for more than one (1) month, PLEASE be prepared that recertification may be requested at your next clinic visit. We apologize for any inconvenience caused to individual patients.
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Referral Network
The Clinic is attempting to establish a network of specialists, such as physicians, dentists, physical therapists, surgeons and many others who may be able to provide limited care to Clinic patients in their own offices or on a pro bono or discounted basis.
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Patient FAQ's
Where Are You Located ?
What Services Will You Provide, And Who Will Provide The Services ?
Will The Clinic Provide Emergency Services ?
What Services Are Not Provided ?
Who Is Eligible For Services ?
Do You Provide Services To Out-Of-County Visitors ?
What Will It Cost To Come To The Clinic ?
Will I Be Able To See The Same Doctor Or Nurse Each Time I Come To The Clinic ?
Will Services Be Available For Non-English Speaking Patients ?
How Will I Make An Appointment ?
Will The Clinic Take Walk-Ins ?
How Will I Get An Appointment At The Clinic ?
What Should I Expect When Coming To The Clinic ?
What Should I Bring With Me To Prove Eligibility ?
How Often Will I Need To Prove Eligibility ?
What Do I Bring To My Appointment ?
Is The Clinic Open At This Time ?
What Hours Will The Clinic Be Open ?
Will The Clinic Be Secure ?
How Will The Clinic Verify People’s Eligibility ?
Will Immigration Status Be Considered For Patients To Qualify For Services ?
Can People With Insurance Be Served At The Clinic ?
Will The Clinic Provide Transportation To Or From The Clinic For Patients Who Do Not Have Transportation Of Their Own ?
Will The Clinic Provide Prescription Medication ?
What Is The Clinic’s Policy Regarding Pregnancy Issues ?
Will The Clinic Provide Free Prenatal Care ?
Will The Clinic Give Out Birth Control Information Or Contraception ?
Will The Clinic Treat HIV And AIDS ?
What Will Be Done For Patients With Medical Problems That The Clinic Is Unable To Treat ?
What Qualifications Will Be Required For Physicians Or Other Healthcare Providers Who Wish To Volunteer Their Services ?
Will The Religious Background Of The People The Clinic Serves Be Considered Before Treatment ?
Will Religious Information Be Given Out To Clinic Patients ?
Will The Clinic Do TB Testing ?
Will The Clinic Do STD Testing ?
Will I Or Others Be Able To Review My Chart And Medical Records ?
How Long Will I Have To Wait To Get A Refill For My Prescription ? What If I Am Out And Need It Today?
What Are The Clinic’s Plans With Regard To Recordkeeping ?
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What Services Will You Provide, And Who Will Provide The Services ?
The Clinic hopes to provide outpatient preventive and acute care, management of some chronic and long-term medical conditions, dental care, health maintenance, specialty referral, health education, limited, limited optometry services, and some prescription assistance. Services will be provided primarily by licensed medical professionals who donate their time without charge to VIM patients.
Will The Clinic Provide Emergency Services ?
No emergency services, hospitalizations, major procedures, surgeries, or expensive diagnostic services will be performed. Ideally, at some point we will have a referral system in place for some of these matters. Of course, if you have an emergency you should always call 9-1-1 and an ambulance or have someone drive you to the nearest emergency room.
What Services Are Not Provided ?
We will not be providing HIV and STD screening, drug testing, obstetrics, paternity testing, disability benefit examinations, routine immunizations for children, travel medicine, fertility testing, chiropractic or naturopathic care, family counseling, substance abuse treatment, emergency or major trauma services. However, here are other organizations which may provide these services:
Who Is Eligible For Services ?
Patients are required to be residents or work in the Pulaski County, Arkansas for a minimum of 90 days, and not be covered under Medicare, Medicaid, or any other private medical insurance provider. Patients must be able to show that their income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Due to the demand for services, VIM's guidelines may change in the future.
Do You Provide Services To Out-Of-County Visitors ?
No, unfortunately our limited resources will require us to limit the scope of our services to local residents and workers.
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What Will It Cost To Come To The Clinic ?
Visits will be free of charge. However, we certainly welcome a voluntary contribution toward the cost of services, prescription medications or supplies. Patients may have to pay for lab tests or for medications not in our dispensary. If you need special attention that cannot be provided at VIM, we will try to help you find the medical care you need. We cannot, of course, guarantee that it will be provided free of charge.
Will I Be Able To See The Same Doctor Or Nurse Each Time I Come To The Clinic ?
Not necessarily. Since the doctors, nurses and other health professionals who work at VIM will volunteer their time, you may not be able to see the same practitioner each visit.
Will Services Be Available For Non-English Speaking Patients ?
When making an appointment, please let us know if you need services in another language. We will try to find an interpreter to assist during the visit.
How Will I Make An Appointment ?
Patients will be seen by appointment only, on certain dates and times to be announced. Please note that the Clinic cannot and will not take walk-ins. Due to the high demand for services, a patient who is unable to keep an appointment will be asked to cancel at least 24 hours in advance to help schedule patients who are on the wait list.
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Will The Clinic Take Walk-Ins ?
The Clinic will not take walk-ins. Due to the anticipated high demand for services, a patient who is unable to keep an appointment will be asked to please cancel at least 24 hours in advance to help schedule patients on the wait list. Patients will be seen by appointment only.
How Will I Get An Appointment At The Clinic ?
Patients will be able to get an appointment by calling the appointment telephone line. Appointments will be scheduled on a “first call, first serve basis.”
What Should I Expect When Coming To The Clinic ?
* You will be immediately greeted by the friendly face of a compassionate volunteer.
* On your first visit, you will be screened for eligibility by another caring volunteer and if you are eligible for services at the Clinic, you can be scheduled for an appointment within a matter of days.
* All of the greeters, eligibility screeners, front desk staff, physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and other providers and volunteers are dedicated to you and this Clinic. We are neighbors helping neighbors with the caring and respect we all deserve.
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What Should I Bring With Me To Prove Eligibility ?
We need to verify identity and age; residency; income; and health care lack of availability.
(1) Picture identification or Social Security card, or Birth Certificate (proof of identity)
(2) Utility bill or voter registration with name and address (proof that you live in Pulaski County )
(3) Latest federal and/or state income tax return, OR
(a) If employed and receive paychecks, bring your last two pay stubs
(b) If you are employed but are paid in cash, a “verification of income” form must be completed and signed by your employer
(c) If self-employed bring your most recent 1099 or profit/loss statement for the current period
(d) If your spouse is working and has insurance but does not cover you, please bring a statement from your spouse’s employer (preferably on the business’s letterhead) that there is no insurance covering you---also bring other information showing your income
(e) If on disability or retired (but not yet 65), bring your last two disability or retirement checks, or your bank statements if your payments are direct deposited
(f) If you have lost your job recently, bring your last two pay stubs and documentation of what you may be receiving in the form of unemployment benefits
(g) If you are living on savings, please bring your last three bank statements
(h) If you have no income whatsoever, we need a signed letter verifying that fact from the person who provides food and shelter for you. That person must provide the above proof of income
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How Often Will I Need To Prove Eligibility ?
Anytime the Clinic requests it, but typically this will be not more than once every few months.
What Do I Bring To My Appointment ?
Any medical information you have about you from doctors or hospitals and all of your prescription medicines.
Is The Clinic Open At This Time ?
Not at this time. We anticipate opening in mid to late 2007.
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What Hours Will The Clinic Be Open ?
Since all Clinic health care professionals will be volunteering their time after normal working hours, the Clinic will initially be open one or two nights a week from approximately 6:00-9:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Staff will be available at designated times on designated days to schedule appoints or assist with referrals.
Will The Clinic Be Secure ?
We anticipate hiring security in the form of a private security service or off-duty Little Rock police offers to provide peace of mind for patients, volunteers and Clinic staff.
How Will The Clinic Verify People’s Eligibility ?
The staff of the Clinic will determine eligibility for services and will screen all new patients. The screening will also determine whether or not patients may qualify for any state/government funded insurance/benefits such as Medicare, Medicaid, or ARKids. If so, they will be signed up for these services on the spot and then referred to the appropriate healthcare providers.
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Will Immigration Status Be Considered For Patients To Qualify For Services ?
No. Qualification for services depends on proof of identity and age, residency, income and whether or not the patient is uninsured, not whether the individual is a U.S. citizen. For instance, undocumented persons need medical care just like anyone else.
Can People With Insurance Be Served At The Clinic ?
No, as our limited resources will be devoted to the uninsured. People with insurance will be referred to other service providers.
Will The Clinic Provide Transportation To Or From The Clinic For Patients Who Do Not Have Transportation Of Their Own ?
Our goal will be to persuade volunteers from churches or other organizations to help with transportation when absolutely necessary. In any event, we anticipate being located near major thoroughfares and interstates, and the bus route.
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Will The Clinic Provide Prescription Medication ?
Non-narcotic prescription medications may be provided at no or nominal cost. Patients will also apply for programs which will enable patients to get certain free medications from participating pharmacies.
What Is The Clinic’s Policy Regarding Pregnancy Issues ?
We will not be staffed or equipped to treat women’s health issues such as pregnancy, abortion, etc. These cases will be referred to other Clinics since they are already staffed to provide medical help for these issues.
Will The Clinic Provide Free Prenatal Care ?
Eligibility will be determined for patients in need of prenatal care. If a patient does not qualify for prenatal care through Medicaid, the Clinic staff will then refer the patient to an appropriate provider for the necessary care.
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Will The Clinic Give Out Birth Control Information Or Contraception ?
No. Patients will be referred to other providers such as the Arkansas Department of Health.
Will The Clinic Treat HIV And AIDS ?
No, but patients will be referred to other clinics that are better qualified to treat AIDS sufferers. Our limited resources will not allow us to address any specialized needs associated with HIV and AIDS.
What Will Be Done For Patients With Medical Problems That The Clinic Is Unable To Treat ?
The Clinic plans to create a network of referrals for such cases. We hope to be able to refer patients to specialists that will treat our patients for free or at least at a reduced fee.
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What Qualifications Will Be Required For Physicians Or Other Healthcare Providers Who Wish To Volunteer Their Services ?
Credentialing procedures will be in place for all healthcare/dental providers. Healthcare professionals will also be required to provide the Clinic with appropriate state licensing information.
Will The Religious Background Of The People The Clinic Serves Be Considered Before Treatment ?
Religious preference will not be considered to qualify for Clinic services, and all who satisfy the eligibility criteria are welcome.
Will Religious Information Be Given Out To Clinic Patients ?
No. Patients will not be asked about their religious preference nor be given any religious information. Access to chaplains and other spiritual advisors may be available as resources allow.
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Will The Clinic Do TB Testing ?
Yes, TB testing will be done at the Clinic when it is required for establishing the patient’s diagnosis. TB testing is not done for people who have insurance or who are having the test done to work in school districts or for health care facilities. School districts and health care facilities can take care of the testing under their own insurance plans or in their own facilities. TB testing will be mandatory for all those who volunteer at the Clinic.
Will The Clinic Do STD Testing ?
No, routine STD testing will not be done unless it is required for establishing the patient’s diagnosis and by appointment only.
Will I Or Others Be Able To Review My Chart And Medical Records ?
As patient records are clinical in nature, it is best they be reviewed in the company of clinical personnel. Should you wish to review your chart, please let Clinic personnel know in advance and arrangements will be made for you to do so. Otherwise, we intend to comply with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).
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How Long Will I Have To Wait To Get A Refill For My Prescription ?
What If I Am Out And Need It Today? Because of the number of refill requests that the Clinic receives, at least one week notice will be needed to prepare prescriptions. Only in emergency situations can the Clinic refill prescriptions with shorter notice, and even then availability will not be guaranteed.
What Are The Clinic’s Plans With Regard To Recordkeeping ?
The Clinic hopes to in the future go completely “paperless” with respect to medical records. It is believed that this technology will help us increase productivity, staff allocation and patient care. Click here to learn about a VIM Clinic in Oregon which has already done this. [LINK TO CASCADES, OREGON WEBSITE—they also describe software that they use for their eligibility database, for donors, for volunteers, for meds, for prescription assistance program, and for dispensary management]
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Services Not Provided
We will not be staffed or equipped to provide the following services:
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HIV and AIDS testing, screening or care
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STD screening or testing
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TB (tuberculosis) testing
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drug testing on urine, blood, stool, or hair
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obstetric services, abortion or prenatal care
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birth control or contraception
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paternity testing
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fertility testing
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cancer chemotherapy or other therapy
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disability benefit examinations
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routine immunizations for children
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travel medicine
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chiropractic or naturopathic care
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family counseling
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substance abuse treatment
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emergency or trauma services.
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