Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HJR0548 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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4	4	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 548
5	5	By Vital
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8	8	HJR0548
9	9	006816
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12	12	A RESOLUTION recognizing Volunteers in Medicine,
13	13	Chattanooga, Inc., on the occasion of its
14	14	twentieth anniversary.
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16	16	WHEREAS, it is fitting that the members of this General Assembly should specially
17	17	recognize those exemplary organizations whose remarkable personnel work with purpose and
18	18	conviction to improve the quality of life in their respective communities; and
19	19	WHEREAS, one such estimable organization is Volunteers in Medicine, Chattanooga,
20	20	Inc., (VIM), which has provided dedicated and compassionate healthcare services to uninsured
21	21	individuals in Hamilton County and surrounding counties since its opening in May 2005; and
22	22	WHEREAS, VIM has remained open through numerous challenges over the past two
23	23	decades, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and continues to serve the community's most
24	24	vulnerable residents with accessible and affordable primary care; and
25	25	WHEREAS, VIM's patients, who are hardworking and eager to improve their lives, have
26	26	benefited greatly from the clinic's services, becoming healthier and more able to support
27	27	themselves and their families; and
28	28	WHEREAS, through the generosity of the community, including foundations, churches,
29	29	and individuals, VIM's free primary care clinic has been able to provide medical care at no cost
30	30	to its patients, with services rendered by more than 100 dedicated volunteers, including
31	31	physicians, nurses, and other clinicians; and
32	32	WHEREAS, the clinic's staff, consisting of two full-time and six part-time employees,
33	33	works hand in hand in the crucial continuity-of-care approach in coordination with providers and
34	34	patients; and
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39	39	WHEREAS, the patient demographics served by VIM indicate that seventy percent are
40	40	in their mid-fifties to sixties, eighty percent having income at or below 133 percent of the federal
41	41	poverty level, and many not qualifying for Affordable Care Act policies or state Medicaid; and
42	42	WHEREAS, VIM's patients are often employed, typically in part-time work, and struggle
43	43	with chronic health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity; and
44	44	WHEREAS, to date, VIM has provided over 82,000 patient visits, valued at $29 million at
45	45	clinic rates and nearly $114 million at emergency room rates, along with $20 million in
46	46	dispensed medications and over $6.5 million in donated lab services; and
47	47	WHEREAS, the commitment and selflessness of VIM's volunteers, who have contributed
48	48	more than 170,000 hours of service, have been instrumental in sustaining the clinic's success
49	49	and in providing quality care to those in need; and
50	50	WHEREAS, VIM's primary objective is to meet the medical needs of its patients without
51	51	creating financial burdens, treating both chronic and acute health issues, and fostering a sense
52	52	of dignity, worth, and hope in the lives of those served; and
53	53	WHEREAS, it is fitting that we specially honor this worthy organization during its
54	54	twentieth anniversary year; now, therefore,
55	55	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
56	56	FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
57	57	CONCURRING, that we honor and commend Volunteers in Medicine, Chattanooga, Inc., on its
58	58	twentieth anniversary, thank the good people of this organization for their remarkable
59	59	contributions to the health and well-being of their community, and extend our best wishes for
60	60	every future success.
61	61	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
62	62	for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
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66	66
67	67	the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
68	68	without House or Senate designation.
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