As a non-profit organization, helping the community stay healthy is part of our mission. We offer free classes to educate people about disease prevention, facilitate support groups and conduct a variety of health screenings. Virtua provides clinical training not only for local nurses, paramedics and physicians, but also for the community including pediatric and adult CPR. Check our event calendar or call 1-888-VIRTUA-3 (1-888-847-8823).
Also, through our Speakers Bureau, we offer presenters on a variety of topics.
A good neighbor
Virtua takes its role as the leading provider of healthcare services and its position as a major employer in the tri-county region to heart. As a result, the organization plays a key role in numerous activities to benefit the residents of the communities it serves above and beyond the normal day-to-day healthcare operations.
Staff volunteer activities
Volunteerism at Virtua begins with the President/CEO and spans all levels of management and front-line personnel. Virtua associates provide their time and expertise to a range of community organizations. At the bottom of this page see some of these inspiring stories.
Meeting facilities
Three of Virtua's facilities provide meeting rooms and, at times, catering support at significantly reduced rates (compared to for-profit centers in the area) or free-of-charge as an in-kind contribution to the community. The meeting rooms are used by support groups as well as non-profit health and human service agencies who are not part of Virtua. These organizations use the rooms for annual events, monthly and weekly meetings, or on an occasional basis. In 2004, more than 150 outside organizations held approximately 1,812 meetings at Virtua facilities.
Other community projects include:
Building donation
In 2000, Virtua donated a building for use as the Camden Catholic Social Services Center. The center provides emergency assistance including food, infant equipment and supplies, heating, utility expenses, emergency housing, clothing, prescriptions and other essential items.
Immunizations
A group of Virtua pediatricians partnered with Camden City Board of Education, the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services and several insurance companies to provide immunization for all Camden City children. Through the program, volunteer physicians provide immunizations for children during school hours. The doctors have also immunized younger children whose parents want their immunizations updated as well as immigrant children with foreign medical records.
Free cancer screenings through NJCEED
Virtua provides cancer screenings for residents of Camden and Burlington Counties through the New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection program (NJCEED). NJCEED is a free cancer screening program funded by the Center for Disease Control and the State of New Jersey. It provides cancer screenings for breast, cervical, prostate and colorectal cancers for New Jersey residents who are age appropriate for these screenings, are uninsured or underinsured, and cannot pay for these services. Clients can earn up to 250 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and be eligible for the program. That means for example, an individual can earn a pre tax income of $26,000 or a family of four can earn $53,000 and still qualify.
Screening services funded by NJCEED include clinical breast exams, mammograms, Pap smears, pelvic exams, fecal occult blood testing, digital rectal exams and PSA blood tests. Under certain circumstances the grant also funds breast ultrasounds, surgical consultations, biopsies, colposcopies, colonoscopies and other diagnostic services. Patients can call 1-888-Virtua-3 to find out if they are eligible for cancer screening through NJCEED at Virtua.