By Leigh Farmer, Danielle Pierce, Sara McCloskey, and Olivia Trani

Each new year brings exciting opportunities to grow and invest in ourselves as well as our community. As we prepare for all of the new experiences 2025 will bring, it’s also important to look back at everything we achieved in the past 365 days.

At VCU Health, we are reflecting on major milestones that show our unending commitment to the diverse communities we have continued to serve over the years. As VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center marked its 50th anniversary of cutting-edge care and groundbreaking research in the fight against cancer, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU celebrated the first birthday of the Children’s Tower, Richmond’s newest home for pediatric inpatient, emergency, and trauma care.

We look forward to many more years serving our patients, their families, and our team members in big cities and close-knit, rural towns in Virginia and beyond.

VCU Health’s new mobile PET/CT scanner provides a whole-body scan in 17 minutes or less, about half of the time of a traditional scan. (VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital)

Faster cancer screenings are helping rural Virginians get timely care

VCU Health rolled out an innovative solution to common problems across health care systems – wait times and access to timely care. A 50-foot trailer is now travelling between three of our locations, VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital, VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital, and the Stony Point Campus, to provide rapid scans for patients in under 17 minutes, which is about half the time of a traditional cancer screening. The mobile, digital PET/CT scanner makes it easier and quicker for patients to get screened and be put on a treatment plan.

This initiative is only possible because of the strong collaborations throughout the health system to bring new technologies to the communities it serves.

How VCU Health is helping patients get screened for cancer closer to home

Rear Admiral Benjamin Nicholson, Commander of Expeditionary Strike Group TWO along with medical leadership from Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic and the Navy’s Atlantic-based Fleet Surgical Teams (FSTs) received a tour of VCU Medical Center’s Level I trauma center in late January. (VCU Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

VCU Health expands Military-Civilian Partnership with new training programs to enhance trauma and emergency care

VCU Health continues to strengthen its military-civilian partnership (MCP), showcasing its commitment to fostering collaboration and sharing expertise between military and civilian medical professionals. In 2024, VCU Medical Center’s Level I trauma center hosted members of the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Surgical Teams for discussions on their efforts to advance medical preparedness and improve outcomes for patients in diverse and challenging environments.

The partnership also expanded this year through the introduction of new course offerings and mentorship opportunities designed to enhance trauma care, surgical skills, and emergency response training. These programs not only provide vital cross-disciplinary learning opportunities but also ensure that both military and civilian providers are better equipped to deliver high-quality care in high-pressure situations.

In total, VCU Health’s MCP now has partnerships with 5 different military and governmental agencies. The program has gained the attention of various leaders across the military and beyond, fueling further requests for partnership agreements from additional parties.

VCU Health’s Military-Civilian Partnership continues to grow through new course offerings

VCU’s health sciences campus offers 75 degree and certificate programs across six schools and colleges. (Pam Arnold, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Strong cross-campus collaborations paves way for more innovation

Sharing a campus with VCU’s premier health science schools allows team members and students in all stages of their careers to work together on innovative research projects that can impact patient care. This year, these strong collaborations were brought to the forefront of special events with the directors of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and National Institutes of Health, who were both impressed with the work being done on the academic medical center campus.

This year was marked by new milestones in medical innovation, such as the rollout of Nerve Tape, a high-tech tool developed by VCU Health surgeon Jonathan Isaacs, M.D., to streamline and enhance the nerve repair process for patients. Since its commercial debut, Nerve Tape has been embraced by leading institutions throughout the country and its potential in orthopedic, reconstructive, and other surgeries could make it the most successful licensing venture in VCU’s history.

Researchers at VCU Health have also made meaningful insights into disease prevention and treatment. A collaborative study involving the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health at VCU and the Richmond VA Medical Center discovered about 13% of individuals diagnosed with dementia in the United States may suffer instead from reversible cognitive decline caused by undiagnosed, advanced liver disease. The new findings emphasize the importance of screening patients for potentially treatable contributors to cognitive decline.

Answering the call: How VCU’s health sciences campus is unlike any other

Members of VCU Health’s PRIDE employees resource group attended the Virginia Pride celebration in Richmond. (Contributed photo)

Recognized for patient-focused care and inclusion in health care settings

VCU Health is making strides to create a welcoming environment to patients, families, and team members who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.

The health system offers Safe Zone training, the PRIDE team member resource group, and makes an effort to collect and display a patient’s pronouns to prevent misgendering them in electronic health records.

In the first year we participated in the survey, VCU Medical Center became one of 462 health care facilities nationwide to earn the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer” designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC).

Inclusive care for patients garners national attention

There are only three transplant centers that can perform lung transplants in Virginia, one of which is VCU Health. (Sherilyn Smail, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

VCU Health is now a comprehensive center for advanced lung disease

In the fall of 2024, VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center became the third center in Virginia to offer lung transplant, making the health system the go-to resource for advanced lung disease treatment.

“Our team is strong and very excited about bringing this program to Central Virginia,” said Vipul Patel, M.D., medical director for the lung transplantation program.

There are more than 900 people whose lung disease is advanced enough to be on a wait list for a transplant in the United States, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). That number includes roughly 30 Virginians at any given time. Under Patel, the lung transplant program is expected to perform 10 to 15 transplants in 2025, with an anticipated growth rate of 20% annually.

Responding to the need for comprehensive lung disease and transplantation care

As we move into 2025, VCU Health team members will continue to listen, learn, and grow as a health system. The unwavering dedication of our care teams to improve access to care while continuing to contribute to innovative research means that you, as a patient, can count on us to take care of you and your family.

Step into the season of unparalleled joy