Appointments

Yes! You must have an appointment to see a doctor. We cannot see you if you just walk in. Please call (541) 330-9001 to make an appointment. It is important for you to leave us a message so that we know that you need help and can call you back.

Call us as soon as you know you will not be able to come to your appointment. We ask that you cancel or change your appointment at least 24 – 48 hours ahead. This is VERY important because there are other patients that we can contact to fill your appointment time if we have plenty of notice. The number is (541) 330-9001. Please leave a message if we do not answer. 

We have many patients who need appointments. When you cancel 24 – 48 hours ahead, we have time to give your appointment to someone else who needs it.

Call us anyway. Let us know why you could not come to your appointment. If we are not here, please leave a message. If we do not hear from you, we will think you no longer need care at VIM. If you miss three appointments without calling us, we may dismiss you as a VIM patient. 

We ask every new patient to sign a VIM Patient Agreement. This explains what you must do to receive care at VIM. If you break this agreement, we can dismiss you as a VIM patient. If we dismiss you as a patient, we cannot help you with your healthcare now, or in the future. This means you will have to find a new clinic and a new doctor, which can be difficult. Some clinics will not take a new patient without insurance.

If you are sick (fever, rash, flu, bad headache) call the VIM Nurse phone at (541) 585-9003. If they do not answer, leave a message with your phone number and the kind of symptoms you are having. Someone will call you back as soon as possible. If we have a cancellation, we may ask you to come in during regular clinic hours.

If you cannot wait for a nurse, go to St. Charles Immediate Care. Take your VIM identification card and a photo ID with you. 

St. Charles Immediate Care is in a building in front of the hospital on the northeast corner of Neff and Medical Center Drive. They are open from 8 am – 6 pm every day. The phone number is (541) 706-3700. In most cases, Immediate Care can help you. If they cannot help you, they will send you to the emergency room. 

Yes. At Immediate Care, the base charge is $45 for patients who can show a VIM identification card and photo ID. If you need x-rays or lab tests, there will be additional charges. It is best to pay your bill when you are there. If you do not pay when you are there, Immediate Care will mail you a bill, but the charge will be higher. 

Yes. The Emergency Room is much more expensive than Immediate Care. If you use the Emergency Room, you will receive one or more bills from St. Charles that you will need to pay. You can receive a discount on these bills if you take your VIM card and photo ID with you. 

If you have a serious emergency, (chest pain, severe abdominal pain, etc.) call 911 for an ambulance, or go directly to the St. Charles Emergency Room. Make sure you take your VIM identification card and photo ID with you.

Sometimes patients need to see a doctor that does not come to the VIM clinic. We call these “referral appointments”.  This means it is an appointment at a different medical office.

We cannot do X-rays or certain medical tests at VIM. We also cannot do procedures like surgery at the VIM clinic. For care like this, we make a special “referral appointment” for you at a medical office outside of VIM.

Yes. VIM coordinates each referral appointment to make it easier for the doctor to care for you. All of your follow-up care will be at VIM, and you will still be a VIM patient.

Sometimes, yes, but not very much. All of the doctors you will see are still volunteers. As a volunteer, they may not charge you full price for their time. But, sometimes they need to charge for tests or other items. We will talk with you before your visit to make sure you understand what to expect.

A referral appointment is special. When you go to your referral appointment it is VERY IMPORTANT that you:

• Be 15 minutes early for your appointment.
• Show your VIM identification card and photo ID when you check in.
• Treat the staff with respect.
• Ask questions if you do not understand something.
• Be kind. Remember to say thank you!

If the doctor has a good experience with you, they will be more likely to see other VIM patients who need help, too.

Please call Salome Chauncey, VIM’s Referral Coordinator at (541) 585-9018. 

Call Salome as soon as you know you will not be able to make your appointment. If she is not there, leave a message. This is VERY important. We hope you can call at least 2 days ahead. The referral appointments are very hard to get. 

By canceling early, we can give your appointment to someone else who needs it.