Heart to Heart International (HHI) announced a point-of-care lab will be installed at Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades in Bend, OR.
Many Americans delay medical care due to cost, scheduling or transportation barriers. A great way to address these challenges is to install a point-of-care laboratory in the clinic itself allowing for quick, on-the-spot testing and results, enhancing diagnoses and patient outcomes. This testing is especially crucial for diagnosing and managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
Heart to Heart International has installed more than 66 point-of care laboratories at free and charitable clinics across the country since 2007. A review of clinical data in 2025 has shown a clinically significant decline in the average hemoglobin A1c of diabetic patients receiving testing and care at free and charitable clinics.
Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades Medical Director Heather Laird said: “This partnership with Heart to Heart International is a tremendous step forward for our clinic and the patients we serve. Having the ability to perform more testing in-house will reduce barriers to care, improve real-time treatment decisions, and make healthcare more accessible and comfortable for uninsured patients in our community."
HHI Senior Vice President of Programs Tenagashaw (Tena) Tiruneh had this to say: “This partnership embodies our commitment to the goals of our laboratory program and supports our mission of improving access to equitable healthcare in medically under-resourced communities.”
HHI will equip this health center with modern lab equipment, staff training, mentoring, technical support, and supplies and reagents for the first 12 months. All installed equipment becomes the clinic’s permanent property.
With the installation of a point-of-care lab at a free and charitable health clinic, patients don’t have to make additional arrangements for transportation or pay extra fees for lab testing. This approach effectively reduces barriers, provides frequent testing at a patient’s health clinic promoting a higher level of engagement between the patients and their healthcare providers and increases the likelihood of patients following clinical and treatment advice. Lab tests performed at the time of clinic visits allow for more efficient workflow processes, expeditious decision-making and a better treatment plan. Immediate availability of results allows patients to quickly be treated and on their way to recovery.
HHI Director of the Laboratory Program Heidi Schutz added: “Heart to Heart International is excited for this opportunity to install this POC lab with Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades as we continue to break down barriers to equitable access to healthcare in under-resourced communities. With our POC Laboratory consultations and training, Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades will be able to provide rapid, accurate laboratory results to aid in diagnosis and treatment decisions for their patients all within the same visit.”
To learn more about HHI's Laboratory Program, visit: Point of Care Laboratories - Support Heart to Heart International. For additional programs aimed at improving health access locally and globally, please visit: hearttoheart.org
If you know someone uninsured who needs care or is interested in volunteering, please learn more at www.vim-cascades.org/.
