February 4, 2006: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Medicine: Hispanic Issues: Red Orbit: Physician Leo Alonso and his wife, Reagan, a registered nurse, met in the Peace Corps in Honduras
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Honduras:
Peace Corps Honduras:
The Peace Corps in Honduras:
February 4, 2006: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Medicine: Hispanic Issues: Red Orbit: Physician Leo Alonso and his wife, Reagan, a registered nurse, met in the Peace Corps in Honduras
Physician Leo Alonso and his wife, Reagan, a registered nurse, met in the Peace Corps in Honduras
"Reagan and I both speak Spanish," said Leo Alonso," and the Hispanic population in Jacksonville is growing rapidly. When patients discover that we speak their native language, there is an instant bond. There are so many subtleties in the description of certain ailments, they are relieved when the language barrier disappears."
Physician Leo Alonso and his wife, Reagan, a registered nurse, met in the Peace Corps in Honduras
Medical Volunteers Serve at Downtown Free Clinic
By SUSAN D. BRANDENBURG
They met in the Peace Corps nearly 20 years ago, but for physician Leo Alonso and his wife, Reagan, a registered nurse, the common dedication they share to serving humanity is ongoing.
Today, the Southside couple team up to serve patients at Volunteers In Medicine -- Jacksonville, a downtown clinic that provides free outpatient medical treatment to the working uninsured.
"Reagan and I began volunteering at VIM shortly after the clinic opened its doors in September of 2003," said Leo Alonso. "As one of 30 emergency room physicians contracted to work with Memorial Hospital, Orange Park Medical Center and Capitol Regional Medical Center in Tallahassee, I've seen too many uninsured patients who waited until they were in a health crisis before seeking treatment. VIM offers an avenue for the uninsured to receive proper medical care before their condition reaches a crisis stage."
The VIM-Jax clinic is modeled after the original VIM founded in Hilton Head, S.C., in 1994 by retired physician Jack McConnell. Since then, VIM models have sprung up in more than 33 cities across the country. Founded in Jacksonville by Jim Burt and longtime community activist Dottie Dorion, Vim-Jax annually serves more than 1,600 of the approximately 120,000 working uninsured in Duval County. Patients must be without private or government-funded medical service.
"It's a myth that the uninsured want to leech off the system," said Leo Alonso. "On the whole, they are hard workers who contribute to society and pay their taxes. They deserve to be treated with respect and, at VIM, they are treated individually and holistically.
"We're one of the few industrialized societies that doesn't offer healthcare to all of its citizens, and we're the wealthiest. Although VIM is not the ultimate solution to the national problem, it's a good start. They are helping to meet a desperate local need and doing it right now."
Manned by active and retired physicians, nurses, medical and non- medical volunteers, VIM is located at 41 E. Duval St. and serves a large downtown contingent, about 10 percent of which is Hispanic.
"Reagan and I both speak Spanish," said Leo Alonso," and the Hispanic population in Jacksonville is growing rapidly. When patients discover that we speak their native language, there is an instant bond. There are so many subtleties in the description of certain ailments, they are relieved when the language barrier disappears."
Parents of Alejandro, 15, and Gwendolyn, 14, both students at Stanton College Preparatory School, the Alonsos moved to Jacksonville in 1993, and enjoy traveling as a family, mountain biking together at Hanna Park, and volunteering at VIM.
"Reagan specialized in pediatric intensive care and worked at Miami Children's hospital, primarily in the cardiac surgery program," said Alonso, who is medical director for the Jacksonville Beach Fire Department and Liberty Ambulance as well as for VIM. "She's worked part time at Shands pediatric ICU and at Baptist Children's Hospital. Now she spends two days a week at VIM. When our children are off to college, we're considering doing some global volunteer work in medicine -- possibly rejoining the Peace Corps. We make a good team, and for now, we're doing what we can right here at home."
"The Alonsos' dedication to VIM mirrors their Peace Corps experience of improving the life and health of the community they serve," said Catie Wallace, volunteer coordinator for VIM. "Their mix of talent and compassion is a true gift to our patients. We are especially grateful for their ability to communicate with our Hispanic patients."
There are 15 active physicians in the community who volunteer their time at VIM.
"I do everything I can to encourage my colleagues to give some time to VIM," said Alonso. "There is a great need for more specialists, and our patient load grows daily. We're on this earth for such a short time, we might as well spend it helping others."MORE ABOUT VIM-JAX
Services: Diagnostic and therapeutic services for most medical conditions that do not require surgery. The VIM-Jax clinic manages routine cases of hypertension, diabetes, asthma, coronary artery disease, upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, sinus infections, etc.
Service eligibility: You must live or work in Jacksonville. You must have an income level of not more than 150 percent of federal poverty criteria (about $21,000 per year for a family of four). If you qualify for a government-funded medical insurance program, VIM- Jax will provide medical care while helping you enroll in the appropriate insurance program.
More information: To inquire about service or to volunteer at VIM, call 399-2766.
When this story was posted in February 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| RPCV admits to abuse while in Peace Corps Timothy Ronald Obert has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor in Costa Rica while serving there as a Peace Corps volunteer. "The Peace Corps has a zero tolerance policy for misconduct that violates the law or standards of conduct established by the Peace Corps," said Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. Could inadequate screening have been partly to blame? Mr. Obert's resume, which he had submitted to the Peace Corps in support of his application to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, showed that he had repeatedly sought and obtained positions working with underprivileged children. Read what RPCVs have to say about this case. |
| Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject. |
| PC establishes awards for top Volunteers Gaddi H. Vasquez has established the Kennedy Service Awards to honor the hard work and service of two current Peace Corps Volunteers, two returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and two Peace Corps staff members. The award to currently serving volunteers will be based on a demonstration of impact, sustainability, creativity, and catalytic effect. Submit your nominations by December 9. |
| Peace Corps at highest Census in 30 years Congratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest number of volunteers in 30 years with 7,810 volunteers serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course, the President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal spending stretching far off into the future, any substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new administration. Choose your candidate and start working for him or her now. |
| The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today. |
| Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Red Orbit
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Honduras; Medicine; Hispanic Issues
PCOL25076
84