Fwd: Shade Tree Needs You - Town Hall Meeting This Friday

[Catherine Meador]

Last email from me this morning, but I just wanted to pass word along to you guys after talking to Paula about this that they would really love some MSTP input at this meeting, if any of you all are able to attend!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Paula Marincola <paula.r....@vanderbilt.edu>
Date: Mon, Apr 21, 2014 at 5:01 PM
Subject: Shade Tree Needs You - Town Hall Meeting This Friday
To: VMSStude...@email.mc.vanderbilt.edu
Cc: "Miller, Robert F. (Pulmonary medicine)" <robert...@vanderbilt.edu>, "Miller, Bonnie M" <bonnie....@vanderbilt.edu>, "Fowler, Michael J" <michael...@vanderbilt.edu>

Dear Shade Tree Volunteers, Friends, and Supporters -

We, the Shade Tree Clinic Board of Directors, are writing to ask your help. 

Over the past eight years of Shade Tree Clinic's operation, Shade Tree has grown into the largest and most comprehensive student-run clinic in the country. Our patients have come to depend on us for medical care, access to medication, social support, legal counsel, and much more. Your loyalty and hard work has made this possible. Unfortunately, today Shade Tree is facing many challenges. Given the realities of the curriculum transition that is finally upon us, we are concerned that - for the first time since we began operations in the doublewide trailer on Grace Street - we may have to close our doors and turn our patients away.

In an attempt to avoid this fate, we are calling for a Town Hall Meeting with the entire Vanderbilt School of Medicine community this Friday April 25 at 12 noon (room TBA - LUNCH PROVIDED). Please RSVP here. **We know that the first years will have just finished a week of testing at this time, and appreciate in advance your participation at the end of a long, hard week.**

At this meeting, we will be quickly bringing the entire community up to speed on the challenges that Shade Tree is facing, answering your questions, asking for your ideas and feedback, gauging interest, and opening the floor up for general discussion.

We know you are all very busy, but would love it if EVERY MEMBER OF THE VANDERBILT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE community is able to join us. Everyone's ideas and feedback are valuable to us at this critical moment. If you are interested in participating in the discussion but are unable to attend the meeting, please reply to this email.

Thank you for your dedication and loyalty over the years. What Shade Tree has achieved over the past eight years would not have been possible if it were not for the dedicated students, such as yourselves, who have generously volunteered their precious time to our clinic and to our patients. With your help, we hope to continue this tradition for many years to come.

With humble gratitude, 

The Shade Tree Board of Directors 

(Paula Marincola, Allison Ferreira, Bharat Kilaru, Matt Stier, Nick Harris, Taylor Triana, Justiss Kallos, Rafi Tamargo, Charissa Kahue, Haerin Lee, Emily Zern, and Michelle Law)