SARASOTA COUNTY

Although Sarasota is one of the wealthiest counties in the state, it is also home to a sizeable community of impoverished folks who cannot afford health care. They often are disabled or have jobs with meager salaries and no health or dental benefits.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!

If you are a licensed health care professional, your skills are in demand, whether in your own office or a clinic setting. Non-medical personnel are greatly needed and appreciated, as well.

"The gift of time is priceless." – unknown

Licensed health care professionals

Sarasota County Health Department:

Opportunities abound for health professionals to volunteer in the health department. Among the needs are assistance in primary care, dentistry, assisting with immunization clinics and family planning.

Senior Friendship Center:

The Senior Friendship Center provides medical and dental care to financially distressed seniors in its facilities in Sarasota and Venice. It does this through the volunteer services of retired physicians, dentists, and nurses. In the state’s fiscal year 97/98, the 81 retired physician and nurse volunteers in Sarasota Senior Friendship Center clinics provided approximately $416,000 worth of free care in 2,876 patient visits.

Community Medical Clinic:

Sarasota Memorial Hospital hosts the Community Medical Clinic twice per week. Medical volunteers treat 50 low income individuals in each clinic session, with some physicians accepting clinic patients in their private offices at no charge.

Sarasota County Health Department:

Health department staff is very grateful to the many local nurses who assist them in the schools to immunize students entering seventh grade. Local dentists are also a great help; they volunteer their time to treat the department’s patients when the staff dentist is on vacation and at other times, as well.

The department is currently seeking Florida-licensed volunteers who can provide professional services in medicine, nursing, and dentistry. If you would like more information on volunteering in the health department, please contact Glenn Mackennon at (941) 954-2880 or e-mail him at Glenn_Mackennon@doh.state.fl.us.

"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Senior Friendship Center

Walking into the Senior Friendship Center is fun. Music from the 40’s fills the air while some dance and some sit back to enjoy the experience; at other times folks are engaged in lively games, exercise and discussions. Excellent works created by local artists grace the center. Tucked away behind the merriment in both Sarasota and Venice are fully equipped medical and dental clinics where volunteer health care professionals minister to the needs of older adults who otherwise would be unable to afford care.

Volunteers in the Senior Friendship Center are retired, as are the vast majority of clients. The retired medical professionals obtain "limited licenses" from the Boards of Medicine and Nursing. Retired dentists practice through a special non-profit permit that Senior Friendship Center received from the Board of Dentistry.

New volunteers are always welcome. The most urgently needed specialties at this time in Sarasota’s clinic are pulmonologists, dental assistants and dental hygienists. In the Venice clinic the needs are for cardiologists, dermatologists, podiatrists, dental assistants and dental hygienists.

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Volunteers Samuel Kalush, M.D., Sherwin Fishman, D.D.S., and Catherine Hassard "in action".

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Jane Icely is the Health Services Director of Senior Friendship Center’s clinics in Sarasota, Venice, Fort Myers, and Naples.

If you would like more information about Senior Friendship Center and its volunteer opportunities, contact The Senior Friendship Center, 1888 Brother Geneen Way, Sarasota, FL 34236 Attn: Lori Hoffert. Phone (941) 955-2122.

"We each must do our part, and give as long as we are able – while we have something to give."
– Albert Loden

Community Medical Clinic

Sarasota Memorial Hospital established the Community Medical Clinic in 1992 to bring free health care to its impoverished neighbors. Paid staff and lay volunteers assist volunteer doctors, nurses, psychologists, and other licensed health care professionals in treating the medically indigent at no charge. Two hundred eighty three health care providers assist in the clinic and/or see clinic patients in their private offices. Many of the clinic’s patients present with complicated problems requiring more care than can be provided in one clinic visit. Since the hospital donates all necessary inpatient and ancillary services, volunteering in this setting reminds doctors of the way medicine used to be, before the advent of managed care companies took over the role of medical decision-making.

The atmosphere in the Community Medical Clinic is very warm and positive, with friendly, easy-going banter between volunteers, staff and patients. Smiles and jokes often accompany the quality medical treatment and make this caring environment one in which volunteers want to return again and again. Clients frequently show their appreciation with handwritten notes and homemade gifts for volunteers.

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Clinic volunteers Cornelius O’Connor, M.D. and Terry Praeger, Ph.D. interacting with patients.

The Community Medical Clinic is always pleased when new professionals volunteer. Their current most urgent need is for specialists in orthopedics and gynecology. In addition to licensed health care professionals, the clinic seeks the volunteer services of lay persons to perform a wide variety of functions such as transporting patients, translating, computer work, medical records, etc. If you would like to be part of this vital team, contact: Sarasota Memorial Hospital, 1700 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239-3555 Attn: Bobbie Gray, Community Medical Clinic Director or Kathleen Carla, Office Manager, or call them at (941) 917-2566. They may also be reached by e-mail: bobbie-gray@smh.com or kathleen-carla@smh.com

"Small things, done with great love, bring joy and peace." -- Mother Teresa

Non-Medical Personnel

Sarasota County Health Department:

The Sarasota County Health Department has an extensive volunteer program. Twelve persons volunteer as Spanish translators for the health department’s clients. They not only translate during clinics, but also accompany clients when they must go to specialist appointments. When not busy with clients, these volunteers develop Spanish versions of the health department’s forms, flyers, and its brochure.

Other volunteers assist with medical records, the well child clinic, and with community-wide health promotion efforts.

The health department has diverse volunteer needs that may interest folks who want to serve their community. These include: editing the Healthy Start Newsletter, translating, data entry, marketing, strategic planning, medical records functions, making phone calls to remind clients of appointments, surveying clients, delivering informational material to local agencies and doctors, and designing brochures/flyers/posters/handbooks.

Merle Dimino has been with the health department for several years, volunteering in health promotion, translation, and home visits. "It’s a lot of fun. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here."

If you are interested in further information about volunteering at the Sarasota County Health Department, please contact Glenn Mackennon at the health department at (941) 954-2880 or email him at Glenn_Mackennon@doh.state.fl.us.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.
It’s not." – Dr. Seuss in "The Lorax"