For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Gilmore, (517) 404-0784
VINA Community Dental Center Announces New Development Director
Jim Gilmore has been named Director of Development and Marketing for VINA Community Dental Center in Brighton, Michigan.
Jim is a graduate of Ohio University with B.S in Political Science and also has earned an Executive Certificate in Non Profit Leadership and Management from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.
Much of Jim’s passion and interest in changing lives through non-profit leadership comes from his extensive experiences with Rotary International. He is a past President of the Brighton Rotary Club and served as the Charter President of the Livingston Sunrise Rotary Club. In addition, he has served as the Chair of the Livingston Sunrise Rotary Foundation.
Jim has served as a leader in Rotary International at the District level for SE Michigan and SW Ontario as Membership Chair, Assistant Governor, Vice Governor and District Governor. He currently serves as New Club Advisor, on the District Governor Nominating Committee, RI Zone 28 RI Director Selection Committee, and One Rotary Summit Zone Curriculum Committee. He has been instrumental in the chartering of seven new Rotary Clubs in SE Michigan since 2004.
Jim has been the keynote speaker at Rotary meetings throughout SE Michigan and SW Ontario on the values of Rotary and Rotary Membership. Jim and his wife, Anne, reside in Hamburg Township.
“I am excited to join the VINA team and lend my passion and expertise in marketing and resource development to helping people in need return to good oral health,” said Gilmore. “I’m excited about enhancing our programs, resources and influence so we can reach more people to assist us in our endeavor as volunteers and donors and find those in need of help. We change lives for the better, and THAT gets me excited!”
VINA’s mission is to provide quality, affordable dental care to Livingston County residents with limited finances and little to no access to dental care while upholding the professional standards of dentistry in a concerned and compassionate way.
The VINA Community Dental Center, a non-profit outreach facility, gives people access to dental care and dental education. VINA improves quality of life through better oral health, promoting dental care seeking behaviors and elevating prevention awareness. By providing dental education materials, oral cancer screenings, and promoting balanced nutrition and healthy food selections, VINA can impact patients’ oral health and in turn, their overall systemic health.
VINA Community Dental Center was established in 2008 to provide basic dental care to low-income, uninsured adults in Livingston County. VINA, which stands for Vision, Integrity, Need, Action, serves as a “dental home” to over 2,000 people in our community.
Many of the patients seen at VINA have not had dental care in 10, 20, even 30 years, have suffered repeated infections, and/or have had to deal with the incredible pain of a toothache because they cannot afford the cost of routine dental care. At VINA we share a common goal, that is: to eliminate pain and infection, to keep as many of their natural teeth as possible and to maintain patient dignity.
VINA accepts 15-20 new patients per month. Professional volunteers provide nearly half of the 150-200 one-hour dental appointments each month. VINA currently employs part-time dentists and dental assistants to augment the volunteers. VINA patients pay an affordable, nominal fee per appointment, which covers a portion of the clinic’s operating expenses. VINA also refers patients to dental specialists in the community, who provide treatment at no additional charge to these patients.
VINA is supported through fundraising events, contributions from the community and limited local grants.
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