By Olivia Trani

In a time when health care professionals are needed more than ever, Virginia Commonwealth University’s premier health sciences campus is at the forefront of training the nation’s next generation of caregivers, researchers and health leaders.

Here, students gain the skills and expertise to launch their careers in public health, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, therapy, rehabilitation and other fields dedicated to serving patient needs. With 75 degree and certificate programs across six schools and colleges, learners at any stage can find the right path to fulfill their academic aspirations. The academic experiences are rich in opportunities for engagement, research and interprofessional collaboration – and are always supported by an inclusive academic community that is committed to each student’s success.

VCU’s health sciences campus is also a hub for cutting-edge research and innovation. The discoveries made here are revolutionizing the treatment of diseases and chronic conditions, including cancer, heart disease, liver disease, mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and traumatic brain injury.

VCU’s health sciences schools are located within the heart of downtown Richmond, but the impact of this comprehensive academic medical center is felt from hundreds of miles away. The campus is home to VCU Health, a world-class health system where students gain valuable hands-on experiences in providing state-of-the-art care to patients from across Virginia. Rooted in a commitment to advancing the health and wellness of our communities, students and faculty are creating positive change for society’s most vulnerable patients and finding lasting solutions for health inequities.

In this article, the leaders and deans from across VCU’s health sciences campus share their perspectives on what makes their schools unlike any other.

What sets VCU’s health sciences schools apart from other universities?

Marlon Levy, M.D., interim senior vice president of VCU Health Sciences and interim CEO of the VCU Health System: A key ingredient to our success is that the schools and hospitals that make up the health sciences campus have a duality of identities. VCU Health is one of the top health systems in Virginia, where the most advanced surgeries, therapies and treatments take place. It also is the state’s largest safety-net hospital. We see more patients who are uninsured or covered through Medicaid than any other enterprise in the state. In this environment, our students are exposed to cutting-edge technology and advanced clinical skills, and they also learn from providers who are dedicated to raising the collective health of our communities. The breadth and depth of the education we provide on this campus is unparalleled in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Lyndon Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Dentistry: Our commitment to providing the highest quality of education and driving new advancements in research, while also improving access to health care, can be seen at every school on this campus. At the School of Dentistry, we recruit faculty who are leading experts in their fields and are making innovative discoveries in oral health and disease. We leverage the latest digital dentistry technologies so that our students are equipped with the necessary skills and expertise to enter the workforce. We also work to ensure that our school keeps evolving to meet the ideals of our students and faculty. This year the state provided $5.2 million to start planning for a new dental building, which would allow us to have one of the best facilities for dental education in the country.

At the same time, our schools have a laser-sharp focus on serving our community’s health needs. When Virginia expanded Medicaid coverage for adults, we became the largest Medicaid dental provider in the state, seeing over 55,000 patients annually. Our school is continuously seeking new opportunities to expand our capacity for patient care and reach populations with challenging health needs.

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Pictured from left to right: Greg Prince, Ed.D., senior director of development at VCU College of Health Professions; Amy R. Darragh, Ph.D., dean of the VCU College of Health Professions; Jon Perlin, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of the Joint Commission and VCU alumnus; and Donna J. Perlin, M.D., pediatric emergency physician and VCU alumna. (Contributed photo) 

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Patricia Kinser, Ph.D., interim dean of the VCU School of Nursing: Our schools also have a deep commitment to helping our students be their best. In our programs, students experience the full range of what nursing can be – helping them shape a strong career path, whether they’re interested in hands-on care, leadership roles or becoming advanced practice nurses or nurse scientists. We’re proud to offer a well-rounded education with strong support. Our faculty are committed mentors, and with personalized advising and academic coaching, we ensure that students have everything they need to succeed, no matter what path they choose. In addition, faculty are attracted to our campus for the collaborative, interprofessional, research-driven environment, where they can transform health care while making a tangible difference in the communities we serve.

Amy R. Darragh, Ph.D., dean of the VCU College of Health Professions: Our schools have been at the forefront of health care education, preparing our graduates to innovate and make meaningful contributions in their fields. At the College of Health Professions, we integrate forward-thinking curricula into degree programs to meet the ever-rising demands of the health care workforce. Five of our programs are consistently ranked among the top in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and all of our programs offer top-tier opportunities for learning, scholarship and outreach. What differentiates us is our commitment to equity and excellence, our commitment to engaging with communities, and our emphasis on ensuring that our graduates represent the rich diversity of the populations they will serve.

What do you hear from your students and faculty on why they chose to come to VCU?

Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Medicine and executive vice president for medical affairs for the VCU Health System: Our school attracts students and faculty who have people and mission at the core of everything they do. They come here to take on the biggest challenges in health care, whether that is serving patients with the most complicated health needs, solving the hardest research questions or identifying opportunities to advance the health of our community. People at this university are not afraid to tackle the hard things.

Kelechi C. Ogbonna, Pharm.D., dean of the VCU School of Pharmacy: Our culture is really what makes us stand out as a school. In health care settings, we often talk about the social determinants that shape a person’s health. As educators, we like to talk about the social determinants of academic success – all the resources that a student needs in order to thrive, whether that is lodging, academic support or fiscal solvency through scholarships. We pride ourselves in thinking about our students holistically so that they can be the agents of change and leaders in their field.

Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., interim founding dean of the VCU School of Public Health: VCU has an unmatched dedication to being community-friendly and community-facing. Our research, education and training are all focused on promoting longevity and making people’s lives better. That’s what attracted me to VCU, and the students and faculty at our school live that out as well.

How important is it for students to be in close proximity to an academic learning hospital for that hands-on experience?

Kinser: Learning in an academic medical center like VCU Health offers tremendous advantages for students. At VCU Health, students benefit from clinical placements that immerse them in diverse settings, from specialized units to primary care, which ensures that they experience the full spectrum of patient care. It allows them to directly apply what they’re learning in real time in the classroom, gaining hands-on experience that’s critical for their professional development. Learning in an academic hospital setting gives students exposure to a wider variety of cases, innovative therapies and leading-edge treatments, ensuring that students are not only confident in their skills but also adaptable and prepared to be leaders in the fast-paced, ever-changing health care landscape.

Saavedra: A student’s medical education is often considered to be two separate periods: first building their foundational knowledge in the classroom, and then later applying that knowledge in a clinical setting. At VCU, we integrate those two forms of education from day one. When our medical students start learning basic anatomy and microbiology, we combine that with interactions with patients and hands-on experience. We don’t have to limit ourselves to two compartments. It’s all wrapped into one because of our association with VCU Health.

Levy: We have also grown our footprint in rural health. Not only are students gaining hands-on experience at VCU Medical Center in downtown Richmond, but many of our students also have rotations at VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital and VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill. At these hospitals, students continue to develop their clinical skills while also being exposed to the unique health needs of rural communities.

VCU’s medical campus is home to six schools within a 1-mile radius, making an ideal environment for collaboration. How important are these interprofessional opportunities?

Darragh: VCU’s health sciences campus is the most comprehensive in Virginia, and our learners are part of a vibrant and collaborative community. Quality health care depends on interprofessional teams and the distinct value contributed by each professional. It is critical that our students, across all the schools and our college, learn together and are immersed in a culture of collaboration and interprofessional excellence.

Ogbonna: Health care is a team-based sport. How can we expect our students to work together in a health care environment if they don’t learn together? VCU is very unique in that we have courses built into our curriculum where students engage with peers studying other professions, whether that is pharmacy, nursing, medicine, social work, physical therapy and more. This helps them critically think about how to tap into the expertise of the whole health care team in order to make the best choices for their patients.

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Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., interim founding dean of the VCU School of Public Health, and Marlon Levy, M.D., interim senior vice president of VCU Health Sciences and interim CEO of the VCU Health System. (Contributed photo) 

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Sheppard: When we care for people, we need to think about the whole person. When tackling public health challenges, we need to think about the environment of the population as a whole. From a public health perspective, this could mean helping medical professionals with risk-reduction strategies or consulting on early interventions for patients. When our students go on to work with people from other professions in medical centers, hospitals and other health care organizations, they’ll already know how to work together and speak the language of other disciplines.

Levy: Equally important is our ability to share and exchange ideas across institutions. Our research community’s collaborative culture means that experts from different disciplines work together to improve our ability to diagnose a disease, create new innovations for therapies, address health inequities and advance community health.

Could you speak to the connection your school has with the greater Richmond area and Virginia? How do your students, faculty and staff make an impact in our local communities?

Kinser: Our students, staff and faculty have a strong and meaningful connection with the greater Richmond community through various initiatives that address local health needs and promote wellness. For example, our students and faculty at the School of Nursing actively participate in community-based programs that provide vital health services, education and resources to medically underserved populations. Students gain hands-on experiences through our Mobile Health and Wellness Program, which brings interprofessional services directly to individuals in their communities for disease management and preventive care. As another example, through a partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, our nurse practitioner students deliver back-to-school physicals for those lacking a primary care provider. These initiatives exemplify how our school collaborates with local communities to meet critical needs while providing valuable learning opportunities for our students.

Cooper: The impact of our schools can be felt beyond Richmond as well. For more than 25 years, students and faculty at the School of Dentistry have worked with the Virginia Dental Association Foundation’s Missions of Mercy project, which provides free dental care for communities across that state that have limited access to health care. Through our service-learning program, we partner with 15 federally qualified health centers to give our students experience caring for different communities across Virginia. Not only are these community health efforts an integral part of our students’ clinical training, but they also teach important lessons on compassion and empathy.

Saavedra: This mindset also influences how our faculty, staff and students conduct research. We often think of research as what happens in the laboratory, and then we bring it into communities and our clinical spaces. At VCU, we’ve turned that around. Our work is informed by the problems our communities face, and our researchers endeavor to find solutions to these challenges in the laboratory and clinic.

Sheppard: Our schools are also making an impact by tackling public health challenges and promoting health equity through public policy. The School of Public Health is located just steps away from the state Capitol and the Virginia Department of Health, making it a prime location for health policy research and advocacy. Our faculty, students and alumni have opportunities to connect with local and state legislators to advocate for better health policies and ultimately improve the lives of all Virginians.

What excites you most about the future of your school and VCU?

Ogbonna: I truly believe that VCU is a perfectly imperfect institution, in that we never shy away from the challenge of trying to provide positive good in what are some of the most vexing of situations, even when it might be easier to not address those challenges. Our mission is to be a public institution and health care environment that serves everyone, from our students and faculty to our patients and the larger community.

Darragh: I am excited to see where the College of Health Professions is headed in the immediate and long-term future. We continue to surpass our previous achievements year after year, and we are fostering innovation and collaboration to help shape our students as future leaders in their fields. There has been much growth within our individual departments, and our college has been part of this exciting evolution.

I also look forward to seeing VCU’s six health sciences schools unite to emphasize the strength of our collective expertise. Our campus is truly making a difference in health care well beyond the state of Virginia.

Cooper: My hope for this campus is that we continue to raise the bar for training our students, elevating our research platform and expanding our positive impact on people’s lives. This will happen as long as we keep collaborating across campuses and growing together as one university.