Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine
Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine (BJVIM) is an independent free clinic delivering compassionate medical and dental care to uninsured individuals who live or work in greater Bluffton and Jasper County, made possible through the commitment of volunteer healthcare professionals. BJVIM is one of more than 90 independent clinics guided by the National Volunteers in Medicine Alliance, representing a local solution to a national challenge: access to primary healthcare for uninsured individuals.
At the heart of BJVIM’s success are the individuals in our community whose generosity makes this care possible. While the dedication of our volunteer healthcare professionals is essential, the clinic would not exist—or be sustained—without the compassion and commitment of individual donors who believe in caring for their neighbors.
Local businesses and corporate partners further strengthen this work, providing critical financial support, services, and partnerships that allow BJVIM to continue meeting the healthcare needs of the Lowcountry. Together, the generosity of individuals and businesses ensures that quality, compassionate care remains accessible to those who need it most.
Our History
In 1992, one out of three people who lived on Hilton Head Island had no access to healthcare. At the same time, a number of retired medical personnel (physicians, nurses, dentists) began expressing an interest in finding a way to continue practicing their profession on a voluntary, part-time basis to help those without access to healthcare. They founded Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The VIM model emphasizes the use of retired medical professionals to provide quality healthcare services in free clinics which focus on serving the needs of the uninsured.
In 2010 a group of concerned citizens recognized the need for a free clinic that would serve the town of Bluffton and Jasper County. On September 19, 2011, Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine (BJVIM) opened its doors and saw its first patient. In 2016, BJVIM added a second clinic in Ridgeland to better serve patients in Jasper County. Today, BJVIM provides medical exams, counseling and nutritional services as well as preventative disease education to over 2,000 eligible uninsured residents in greater Bluffton and Jasper County.
The clinic is staffed by caring and generous local physicians and nurses who donate their time and expertise to extend first class medical care to patients at the clinic. Office and administrative positions are filled by volunteers who answer the phones, greet patients and manage medical records and paperwork necessary to operate a busy clinic. In all, approximately 93 volunteers make the day to day operation of the clinic possible. The benefits of a clinic such as BJVIM are important and broad reaching: by helping people to stay healthy, they are more likely to stay employed and less likely to suffer from chronic illnesses. More families who previously did not have access to healthcare can now be educated to make healthy choices, learn to participate in their own health care and subsequently pass this valuable knowledge on to their children. Healthy families create healthy communities and in every way, a healthy community is a better community!
Our Mission
The mission of the Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine is to provide free medical care in a compassionate and professional manner to the uninsured of greater Bluffton and Jasper County with an emphasis on preventative medicine and health education.
Our Vision
No one in our community goes without access to quality health care.
Our Values
- Caring – We are empathetic to any individual in our community with limited access to quality healthcare and we volunteer our time to serve those in need.
- Compassion – We value and respect all human life and we selflessly serve to protect human dignity and improve the quality of life of our patients.
- Commitment – We are dedicated to serving the needs of our patients and providing the highest level of professional healthcare
- Community – We believe that responsible stewardship and investment of our donated resources into the continued health and well-being of our community is our highest calling.
