BVMI’s donors give from the heart. And when they connect us to others who can help, it’s a bonus. Lisa and Dan Peterson, long-time Bergen County residents, have supported BVMI since 2016. “When I worked at a big corporation, I had wonderful group health insurance,” said Lisa. I didn’t necessarily focus on others in the community who also worked hard, but didn’t have this security.”
Lisa introduced BVMI to several other talented, generous people during her career at Stryker (a leading medical technology company), where she served as Group Vice President for Human Resources. Now a retiree, Lisa still makes connections to strengthen our Board of Trustees, our Associate Board, and our donor family. “It’s been really satisfying to connect young, smart, mission-oriented people with BVMI,” she said. “They’re eager to learn and help with leadership.”
“One of the first things that struck me about BVMI was the beauty of its approach to healthcare,” added Lisa. “It’s dignified. It respects the individual. It acknowledges how difficult things are for hardworking people who are medically underserved. BVMI’s clinical volunteers are there for the love of the mission, as opposed to many of the other reasons people go to work. Over the last few decades, managed care has sometimes taken the patient out of the center. BVMI hasn’t.”
“Donations to BVMI go toward delivering services,” said Lisa. “That also strengthens the communities we live in. This quickly became obvious during the peak of COVID, when so many people became ill and couldn’t go to work. BVMI’s patients needed quality medical care more than ever – so that they could stay healthy, take care of their families, and continue to provide many services that their neighbors had come to count on.”
“There’s a tremendous amount of need out there for BVMI,” said Dan Peterson. “A lot of potential donors and volunteers still don’t know that they exist. We just have to keep getting the word out.” BVMI’s upcoming expansion to Garfield and the surrounding community via an additional clinic site (as part of Unity Health Partnership) will help to address this challenge.
“BVMI views healthcare through the patient’s eyes, which is what sets them apart,” said Lisa. I’ve served on a lot of nonprofits over the years. BVMI has been able to accomplish so much. It’s a well-run organization.”
