BVMI 2015 Annual Report

Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative
2015 Annual Report
LEADERSHIP MESSAGE
Thank you for being a part of the BVMI family – donors, volunteers and staff –
working together in 2015 to keep our patients healthy so they can work and take care
of their families. And work together we did!
Generous donors – familiar and new – made sure we could continue to provide our
special brand of healthcare to almost 1,000 hardworking adults. Our patients made
more than 6,000 visits to BVMI for lab work, annual physicals, sick and urgent care and
ongoing treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
They met with our dietitian to learn about healthy eating, and with our social workers
to help manage depression, anxiety and stress.
Volunteers pitched in to be sure that our patients received the care they needed.
In addition to clinical volunteers providing patient care, lay volunteers did everything from
crunching numbers to making phone calls to scanning medical reports. In all, 82 volunteers
donated 5,429 hours worth $503,000, an increase of 12% from the prior year.
BVMI...
a family
affair
Later this year, the BVMI family will have a new home. After months of planning,
construction will soon begin on a beautiful new healthcare center at 75 Essex Street in
Hackensack. We’ll be able to expand office hours, see more patients and utilize more
volunteers. Rest assured, you’ll be invited to our grand opening – we can’t wait!
We’re so happy that you are a member of the BVMI family. Your support means that
we can continue helping our patients to stay healthy – and we hope you feel as good
about that as we do!
AMANDA MISSEY, President/CEO
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
STAFF
Neil Abitabilo
Chair
Claudette Apollon
Discharge/Referral Assistant
Gene Marsh
1st Vice Chair
Michael Arteta
Eligibility Interviewer/
Lab Technician
Andrea Costa Egan
2nd Vice Chair
Jack Inserra
Secretary/Treasurer
Heidi O. Ahlborn, MD
Dianne Aroh, MS, RN, NEA-BC
Michael W. Azzara
Samuel A. Cassell, MD, Founder
Janet Finke
Tammy King
Wendy Klein, Esq.
Ronald Saldarini, PhD
Marilyn Schotz
Charlotte Sokol, MD
Christopher Vanuga
Bernard Weinstein
Carl Wierum, MD
Amanda Missey
President/CEO
Shannon Calamito
Director of Development
Arthur R. De Simone, MD
Medical Director
Vicky Fliman, RN
Patient Navigator
Mary Granholm, RN, MSN, APN-BC
Chartis Fellow Nurse Practitioner
Michael R. Armellino
Kathleen M. Burke, PhD, RN
Kenneth Herman, EdD
Gladys Laden
Joseph Rutch
Joanne Westphal
Joan M. Wright
WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM
42% Donated Goods/
Services
21% Individuals
12% Foundations
11% Special Events
9% Corporations
4.8% Other
.2% Patient Donations
Holly Homa, RN-BC, CDE
Certified Diabetes Educator
Gloria Jekic, RN
Assistant Nurse Manager
HOW WE SPEND THE MONEY
Michelle Kaye, MSN, RN
Nurse Manager
Howard L. Lipton, DO
Associate Medical Director
Amanda Missey
President/CEO
ADVISORY BOARD
NEIL ABITABILO, Chairman of the Board
89% Patient Care
Dale DeAngelis Mottola
Administrative Director
7% Fundraising
Rebeca Ramirez
Front Desk Associate
4% Management/
Administrative
Linda Steffe, LCSW
Women’s Health Social Worker
Blanca Vidal
Lab Technician
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Look what you helped us accomplish! We’re so proud of what we achieved,
BVMI
2015
and we have you to thank. You make it possible for us to take care of our
patients, our volunteers and our community. Strong families need
a strong foundation – thank you for being our rock!
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5
we are
BVMI ...together we make a family!
5
BVMI Strikes Gold
We did it! BVMI has achieved Gold status
on guidestar.org, the highly respected
online source for information about every
IRS-registered nonprofit organization.
GuideStar is the “go-to” site for donors,
researchers, educators, professional
service providers, governing agencies,
and the media who want to learn more
about a particular nonprofit entity.
The site provides information about each
nonprofit's mission, legitimacy, impact,
reputation, finances, programs,
transparency, governance, and more.
To achieve Gold status, currently
GuideStar’s highest designation, BVMI
provided extensive information about
its role in the community, as well as the
results we have achieved for our patients.
To view our GuideStar profile, visit
guidestar.org and search under “BVMI.”
PICTURED: Shannon Calamito, BVMI’s
development director, celebrates achieving
GuideStar Gold status.
6
In Their Shoes
BVMI’s Diabetes Care & Education Program
gained a valued team member in January
2015 when Holly Homa, RN-BC, CDE,
became our certified diabetes educator.
Ask Holly why she joined BVMI, and she’ll
give you more reasons than you can fit in
an annual report.
“I worked for 22 years at a local hospital as
an inpatient diabetes educator and mental
health nurse,” she says. “I understand how
important it is to care for a patient on an
emotional and physical level. BVMI’s
‘Culture of Caring’ appealed to me.”
For Holly, it’s also partly personal. “I have
had Type 1 Diabetes for 40 years,” she
shared. “For positive health outcomes, you
need to control this disease. I had excellent
support in the early years, so I want to help
others with diabetes, too.”
Patient motivation inspires Holly. “BVMI
patients appreciate the care and education
we provide,” she said. “Many face everyday
challenges we cannot imagine, yet they
arrive at the healthcare center positive and
ready to learn. Our patients are willing to
make changes. For example, our patient
‘Felix S.’ has decreased his hemoglobin A1c
by 30%, just one year after receiving
coaching and education in Spanish. That’s
a major improvement, and Felix says he’s
feeling much better.”
Holly also credits patient success to the
resources we provide. Patients are scheduled for as many follow-up visits as needed
to reinforce the principles of diabetes care.
Interpreters make it easier for patients to
understand how to manage their own
health. Patients requiring more intensive
management see volunteer diabetes
specialist Dr. Charlotte Sokol, an expert in
the field. We also provide blood glucose
monitors to patients at no cost.
“I look forward to going to work, and
being greeted by the friendly faces of our
patients,” said Holly. “It’s heartwarming.”
PICTURED: BVMI’s certified diabetes educator
Holly Homa, RN-BC, CDE, counsels a patient.
7
Room to Grow
Despite healthcare reform, there are still
more than 40,000 people in Bergen
County who don’t have health insurance.
BVMI serves about 1,000 patients now,
and in just six years, we’ve completely
outgrown our current space. With the need
for our services not expected to abate, we
spent much of 2015 seeking a new home
that can meet our needs for the next
several years. Now, we are eagerly
anticipating our move to 75 Essex Street
in Hackensack.
With insight and input from volunteers
and staff, we have designed a brand new
healthcare center.
Will bigger – almost 50% bigger –
be better? Yes! Our new home will allow
us to serve patients with more comfort
and privacy. We’ll have a dedicated
diabetes education room and space
for group education programs. We
can also hold onsite board and
community meetings.
Our new home will be convenient for
patients and volunteers. It will be easy to
reach us by public transportation, and we’ll
have ample parking. We will also be closer
to county offices and social service
organizations that assist many of our
patients. New evening and weekend hours
will mean patients won’t have to miss work
and that clinicians still in practice can
volunteer with us more easily.
We’re excited about our new home – and
you’ll be invited to our grand opening later
this year! Stay tuned...
PICTURED: Dr. Sam Cassell, founder of
BVMI, standing next to plans for BVMI’s
new home.
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Getting Pinned
Without volunteers, there would be no
BVMI. Honoring these champions for our
patients is a privilege, and they deserve to
celebrate in style. In April, more than 70
volunteers, staff and friends of BVMI
gathered at a reception hosted by TD Bank,
one of BVMI’s most loyal corporate
supporters. Additional recognition was on
tap via a special pin for 27 volunteers
who had provided five years of service –
dating back to when BVMI first opened
its doors. This event is held each year in
conjunction with National Volunteer Week,
which is all about “inspiring, recognizing and
encouraging people to seek out imaginative
ways to engage in their communities.”
PICTURED: Five-year volunteers gather
to celebrate at BVMI’s annual Volunteer
Appreciation event.
we are
BVMI ...together we make a family!
1
Hope and Healing
Emotional distress and depression can be
just as devastating as physical problems.
Thanks to an Aetna Foundation grant for
our Women’s Health Initiative, Linda
Steffe, LCSW, treats “the whole woman.”
For eight hours a week, Linda, a bilingual
social worker, helps patients with stressors
of daily life and acute crises. “Patients
often feel isolated, or have financial or
family concerns,” said Linda. “Situations
range from depression to challenges with
children to physical abuse.”
Linda helps women deal with issues and
provides coping resources — including
psycho-education and role playing. She
sees patients when needed, with phone
support between visits. She’s also a
resource for our professional staff when we
need to address a patient’s mental health
needs. Thank you, Linda – and Aetna.
You are both making an impact at BVMI.
PICTURED: (L-R) Volunteer social worker
Susan Geltman, LCSW, reviews a case with
nurse manager Michelle Kaye, MSN, RN, and
staff social worker Linda Steffe, LCSW.
Heidi wanted to volunteer with us. She
agreed to serve as a referral coordinator,
matching patients who need specialized
care with physicians in practice elsewhere –
at no charge to the patient. She also formed
a group known as Friends of BVMI, and has
served on BVMI’s Board of Trustees.
“When I felt a real emotional pull to see
patients, I knew I needed to reactivate my
license,” said Heidi. For more than two
years, she tackled rigorous coursework.
She also went to work for a company that
sent her directly into the homes of
Medicare Advantage patients. Her job was
to examine patients in their everyday
environments and help determine their
healthcare needs.
Dr. Heidi Ahlborn has achieved her goal
and found her ultimate niche at BVMI. “I’ll
always be grateful to Dr. Art De Simone,
BVMI’s medical director,” she said. “He
became my mentor and led me through
the training and credentialing process. I
also shadowed Dr. Don Weinstein at BVMI,
the ultimate family doctor who modeled a
warm and caring way with patients.”
Tenafly. Thanks to generous funding
from The Community Chest of Englewood,
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
and Englewood Rotary Club, the geographic
profile of our patient roster will be more
diverse in 2016.
“We’ll be working with nonprofits, faith
communities, municipalities, employers,
housing developments, schools and others
to promote BVMI’s services,” explained
Ana Chawla, project manager for this
initiative. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in
Englewood will serve as a satellite center
for eligibility screening, medical history
intakes, and initial lab work. Once those
steps are completed, patients will
visit our Hackensack healthcare center.
“We look forward to seeing these
new faces and helping them to take
good care of themselves,” said Ana.
PICTURED: Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer,
executive director of The Community
Chest of Englewood, meets with Amanda
Missey to discuss the Englewood Outreach
Project, which is largely funded by an
Impact Grant from The Community Chest.
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Change of Hats,Not Heart
Heidi Ahlborn, MD, became a BVMI
primary care provider (PCP) in 2015, but
she’s no stranger to the medical field – or
to us. In 2009, her husband, Dr. Thomas
Ahlborn, received a postcard about our
soon-to-open facility that would provide
medical care to the underserved of
Bergen County. He became a donor and a
volunteer with BVMI’s referral specialist
network. And Heidi launched her own
relationship with BVMI.
A trained physician, Heidi had focused for
25 years on building a strong family, with
five children. She placed her medical
license on “inactive” status during that
time. When she learned about BVMI, her
youngest child had just graduated college.
“Instead of junk mail, that BVMI postcard
turned out to be a treasure,” she added.
We can say the same for Dr. Ahlborn’s
dedication to our patients at BVMI.
PICTURED: Volunteer physician Heidi
Ahlborn, MD, consults with her mentor
Art De Simone, MD, BVMI’s medical director.
3
Embracing Englewood
Almost 40% of BVMI’s patients reside in
Hackensack. In neighboring Englewood,
the need for our services is just as great,
yet residents account for less than 5% of
our patients. To ensure that people in the
eastern part of the county have access
to healthcare, BVMI has created the
Englewood Outreach Program. Our goal is
to recruit more patients from the communities of Englewood, Englewood Cliffs and
Best of Bergen
The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack was
the unique venue for our annual gala in
September. It was a bold change of
scenery for the event, and an entire
corridor of “The Shops” – from Tiffany & Co.
to Maggiano’s – was transformed. Nearly
300 attendees sampled dishes from
around the world that were donated by
local restaurants. We raised nearly
$200,000, which represents almost a
quarter of BVMI’s annual budget. We also
honored six individuals who all share a
common bond: the belief that access to
healthcare is a right, not a privilege.
PICTURED: (L-R) BVMI founding board
member Janet Finke is joined by Kevin and
Andrea Egan, Governance Committee chair,
and Alyssa Becker, MD, volunteer physician,
at BVMI’s 6th Anniversary Gala.
BVMI...
family is a gift
Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative would like to thank the following donors
for gifts made from January 1 – December 31, 2015:
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Sustainer - $50,000+
Lynn Diamond
Benefactor - $25,000-$49,999
Anna May Capelli
Emilia & Rolf H. Henel
Ambassador - $10,000-$24,999
Andrea & Kevin Egan
Kathleen & Edward Ludwig
Patron - $5,000-$9,999
Vivian & Neil Abitabilo
Heidi Ahlborn, MD & Thomas Ahlborn, MD
Kathleen & Michael Azzara
Carol & Samuel Cassell, MD
Thomas Chisholm
Lizabeth A. Kopp, MD & Michael G. Faust, MD
Janet Finke
Sylvia Golden
Kathy & Elliott Jones
Jennifer & Charles Matar
Lisa Ann Miller, MD & Robert Miller
Michele Rooney, MD & Fernando DeCarvalho
Fellow - $2,500-$4,999
Millicent Anisfield
Dianne & Frank Aroh
BVMI Patients
Ellen & Michael Fedida
Wendy Klein, Esq. & Craig Hersh, MD
Lynda & Gene Marsh
Suzanne & Ronald Saldarini, PhD
Marilyn Schotz
Eileen & Mario Steinvurzel
Peggy & Christopher Sullivan
Karin & Christopher Vanuga
Eileen & Bernard Weinstein
Lucy & Carl Wierum, MD
Member - $1,000-$2,499
Ann Alford
Harry Allan
Bayne & Scott Belair
Kathleen Burke, PhD
Shannon & Michael Calamito
Jocelyn & Marc Dreier, MD
Regina & Peter Gross, MD
Kristin Halvey
Marilyn & Herbert H. Hyman, PhD
Jack Inserra
Kristi & Brian Izzo
Jodi & Tito Jackson
Peggy & Walter Jones
Siew (Birdie) & Henry Lau, MD
Shelley & David E. Lipson, MD
Gail Matthews, MD
V. Merle McIntosh, MD & Jude Roberts
Amanda & Andy Missey
Lindsey & Richard J. Moynihan
Phyllis A. Nazari
Barry Poskanzer
Nora & Joseph Rahaim
Elaine & Robert Rigolosi, MD
Brenda & Joseph Rutch
Florence & Murray Sabrin, PhD
Cipora O. Schwartz
Dona Singer
Lynn Singer
Charlotte Sokol, MD & Martin Blechman, MD
Susan & Victor Wortmann
LEGACY SOCIETY
Michael Armellino
Janet Finke
Rolf H. Henel
ORGANIZATIONS AND GRANTS
Aetna Foundation Inc.
Agostino & Associates, PC
Allergy and Asthma Center
of Northern New Jersey, LLC
BD
Benzel Bush Motor Car Corp
Boiling Springs Savings Bank
The Boye Foundation, Inc.
The Bridge Table, LLC
The Brook Fund, Inc.
The Charles and Marilyn Clark
Charitable Fund
The Chartis Foundation
Chuck Russo's Wine & Spirit World
The Community Chest of Englewood
Community Foundation of New Jersey
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
The Fred C. Rummel Foundation
Fred Kassner Family Foundation
The GE Foundation
The Giants Foundation, Inc.
Glen Rock Bridge Center LLC
Hackensack Regional Chamber of Commerce
Henry & Elaine Kaufman Foundation
Higgins Family Foundation
Horizon Foundation for New Jersey
Hudson City Savings Bank
Inserra Supermarkets
Investors Foundation
Kajima Foundation, Inc.
BVMI changes lives, but we can’t do it without your help.
Please give generously – it makes a difference!
The mission of Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative, Inc. is to provide free primary
medical care and, where possible, referrals to free specialty care for working,
low-income Bergen County residents who have no health insurance.
241 Moore Street, Suite 101
The Kaplen Foundation
The Lions Club of Oradell
The Luckow Family Foundation
Meadowlands Regional Chamber
Myron and Elaine Adler Private Foundation
New Jersey Synod,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
OritaniBank Charitable Foundation
The Provident Bank Foundation
PSEG Foundation
The RealSource Association of Realtors
Ridgewood Stablehands Breakfast Society
River Edge Lions Club
The Robert G. and Ellen S. Gutenstein
Family Foundation Inc.
Rotary Club of Englewood
Rotary Club of Hackensack
Rotary Club of the Palisades
The Russell Berrie Foundation
Stanley Kane Charitable Trust
SUEZ Foundation
Tavoso Family Charitable Fund
TD Bank
TD Charitable Foundation
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Time & Again Galleries
Triangle Manufacturing Co.
The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, NJ
Uzder LLC
Winifred M. & George P. Pitkin Foundation, Inc.
MATCHING GIFTS
The GE Foundation
Hudson City Savings Bank
Merck Company Foundation
IN-KIND GIFTS
BD
The Chartis Group
Cole Schotz PC
Dechert LLP
Direct Relief USA
Evonik Corporation
J&J State Street Pharmacy
Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp
Mission Pharmacal
Novo Nordisk Inc
Quest Diagnostics
Ridgewood Moving Services
sanofi-aventis US LLC
SUEZ
TD Bank
Vertical Pharmaceuticals LLC
GALA SPONSORS
Gold
BD
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
Hackensack University Medical Center
Holy Name Medical Center
Hudson City Savings Bank
TD Bank
The Valley Hospital
Silver
Elaine Adler
Jennifer & Charles Matar
Triangle Manufacturing Co.
Bronze
Benzel-Busch Motor Car Corp.
Bergen Regional Medical Center
Cole Schotz P.C.
Lizabeth A. Kopp, MD & Michael G. Faust, MD
Tamara Freeman, DMA & Barry Freeman, EdD
Inserra Supermarkets
The Luckow Family Foundation
M&T Bank
PNC Wealth Management
Quest Diagnostics Inc.
The Robert G. and Ellen S. Gutenstein
Family Foundation Inc.
Valley Emergency Room Associates P.A.
Advocate
Vivian & Neil Abitabilo n Heidi Ahlborn, MD &
Thomas Ahlborn, MD n Deborah & Donald
Aronson n Kathleen & Michael Azzara n Janet &
Joel Bauer n Bergen County Medical Society n
Bogota Savings Bank n Boiling Springs Savings
Bank n Jeanne Burke n Kathleen Burke, PhD n
Carol & Samuel Cassell, MD n Thomas Chisholm
n Rebecca Cipriano, MD & Joseph Cipriano, MD
n Donna & Herbert Cole, MD n Joan Cowlan n
Andrea & Kevin Egan n Ruth & Noel Friedland,
MD n Ann & Barry Galton, MD n Cynthia &
Lawrence Goldman n Regina & Peter Gross, MD
n Marilyn & Herbert H. Hyman, PhD n Jack
Inserra n Gladys & Herbert Laden n Sandy &
Miles Lazerwitz, DDS n Lynda & Gene Marsh n
V. Merle McIntosh, MD & Jude Roberts n
Dolores Metzger n Lisa Ann Miller, MD & Robert
Miller n Amanda & Andy Missey n Modera
Charitable Foundation n MRH Real Estate
Services n North Jersey Federal Credit Union n
Parlance Chamber Concerts n Poskanzer Skott
Architects n Carol & Sheldon Pressler n PSEG n
Marilyn Schotz n Cipora O. Schwartz n Sharp
USA n Dona Singer n Sigrid & George Snell n
Stephanie & Michael Stern n SUEZ n Karin &
Christopher Vanuga n Alison & Peter Von Halle n
Eileen & Bernard Weinstein n Helaine & L.
Donald Weinstein,MD n Joanne & Charles
Westphal n Carol & Robert Zurier, MD
Great care and effort have been taken to ensure that this listing is accurate.
In the event of an error, we sincerely apologize. Please contact Shannon
Calamito at 201-518-8487 if an inaccuracy is found. We regret that
because of space constraints, we could not list all donors.
Hackensack, NJ 07601
bvmi.org
201-342-2478
WRITING AND EDITING: JD Communications
DESIGN: E.Fitz Art
PHOTOS: Pete Byron