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In the early autumn of 2004, Samuel Cassell, MD, a retired Bergen County internist, became increasingly concerned about the lack of health care for many county residents. After some investigation, he learned about a novel approach to meeting the health care needs of the uninsured involving utilization of the talent and expertise of volunteer physicians and other health care professionals.
Dr. Cassell discovered that Dr. Jack McConnell had acted upon similar concerns in 1992 and had established the first Volunteers in Medicine Center in Hilton Head, South Carolina. This Center became the wellspring for a national movement of free health care centers primarily staffed by volunteer health care professionals. Today there are over 75 existing centers across the country and many more in start-up mode.
Enlisting the support of friends and colleagues, Dr. Cassell began to build an organization to replicate the Hilton Head model. In a few short months the Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative, Inc. (BVMI) was on its way with nearly
100 interested individuals and cooperating agencies and organizations. The BVMI Healthcare Center was officially opened in November 2009.
BVMI is committed to:
- Improving the overall health of the community by providing free primary and preventive care, promoting patient education and reducing the need for emergency care
- Utilizing the volunteer services of physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and other health care professionals wherever possible
- Creating “A Culture of Caring” which respects the dignity and individuality of patients and volunteers
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