Bend, Ore. – February 21, 2017 Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades (VIM) is pleased to welcome Pamela Tornay, MD as our new Medical Director. She will begin her new position on March 1.
Dr. Tornay has been practicing medicine for 23 years, with the last 18 as an Attending Physician at the St. Charles Medical Center – Bend Emergency Department. Dr. Tornay began seeing VIM patients at the Deschutes County Health Department before we had a permanent home, volunteering more than 100 hours since that time.
In her role as Medical Director, Dr. Tornay will provide oversight to our 46 volunteer providers with a shared goal of providing high quality, cost-effective medical care to VIM’s 1,000 patients.
“The challenges faced by our patients today are complex. Most of VIM’s patients live with chronic conditions. Dr. Tornay provides not only clinical expertise, but invaluable experience as one of the first volunteer medical providers at VIM,” said Kat Mastrangelo, Executive Director at VIM. “Dr. Tornay has earned a reputation in Central Oregon as an exceptional physician, and as a passionate and dynamic leader. We are pleased to have her join VIM as Medical Director.”
“Because of my medical experience as a long-standing provider at VIM, I feel that I understand the needs of the patients,” Dr. Tornay shared. “I agree whole-heartedly with the clinic's mission to care for the working people in our community who do not have access to health care in order to prevent delays in seeking treatment that could then later become more serious health threats and to provide preventative care for chronic conditions seen in the majority of patients. I have many longstanding ties to the Central Oregon medical community and I hope to engage more volunteers from this group in the next year.”
In welcoming Dr. Tornay, VIM also notes that our long-time medical directors, Bob Hakala, MD and Jim Ritzenthaler, MD, will remain as volunteer providers. Dr. Hakala also remains as an Emeritus member of the VIM Board of Directors
“Dr. Hakala and Dr. Ritzenthaler have nurtured a culture of compassionate care for our patients and a place where medical professionals give their time selflessly to care for the uninsured in our community,” said John Teller, MD, Chairman of the VIM Board of Directors. “We have been so fortunate to have their exceptional leadership. We are grateful to have Dr. Tornay continue this wonderful legacy.”
About Dr. Tornay
Dr. Tornay received her medical degree from the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI. Her internship in General Surgery was completed at The University of California, San Francisco
Fresno Valley Medical Center and she completed a residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. She is a board certified Emergency Physician by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Tornay has held previous academic positions at UCSF/Fresno including Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and is the author of published studies in Emergency Medicine related topics and anti-thrombolytic properties of platelets. She has been an active preceptor of medical students rotating in the Emergency Department from OHSU and Western University of Health Sciences.
In Central Oregon, Dr. Tornay has also been actively involved in addressing issues that emergency providers encounter in the treatment of patient with chronic pain. Her interest in raising community awareness of the problems of the widespread non-medical use of prescription narcotics lead to her appointments on the CLEAR Alliance Coalition and Oregon Health Authority Pain Standards Task Force.
About VIM
Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) was established in 2001 and provides free medical, mental health, vision and prescription drug care for adults over 18 who live or work in Deschutes, Crook or Jefferson County, earn less than 250% of federal poverty levels and are uninsured. Last year, VIM provided care across more than 7,300 patient visits. Funding is through individual and corporate donations, grants, and patient donations. www.vim-cascades.org
