VCU plans health center in Richmond’s East End for late 2018
The new minor, which is multidisciplinary, will require students to take courses from various departments. CT File Photo
A collaboration between VCU, VCU Health Systems and community partners are set to develop a health education and wellness center serving residents of Richmond’s East End.
The university and its medical center are building the new center off Nine Mile Road near North 25th Street. The project is part of a larger redevelopment initiative that will also feature a grocery store, apartments and a culinary institute operated by J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. The health education and wellness center is projected to open in late 2018.
The health and education center is set to be built in neighborhood where life expectancy is substainly low.
In Richmond’s East End, the life expectancy is 66 years — almost 13 years less than the average U.S. life expectancy of 78.7 years and almost 20 years less than someone in the West End, where average life expectancy is as high as 83 years, according to an article published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 2013.
That’s why Steve Markel, a local businessman and philanthropist, is funding and developing the grocery store, culinary school and apartments.
The comprehensive project will provide new resources in an area of the East End identified as a food desert — parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas, largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets and healthy food providers — and where a majority of residents live in poverty and have poor health outcomes.
“This entire project is about building a healthy community,” Markel said. “It’s an opportunity to bring many community partners together to create opportunities, resources and healthy options for the residents.”
The center is set to provide assessments and screenings, nutrition outreach, behavioral health support, chronic disease prevention and management, health education, care coordination, referrals to community providers and organizations, and research and evaluation.
Teams will collaborate in the center to provide assessments and screenings, nutrition outreach, behavioral health support, chronic disease prevention and management, health education, care coordination, referrals to community providers and organizations, and research and evaluation. Most services will be free by interdisciplinary teams of VCU faculty and students who are working either as a community service activity or as part of their academic program.
“This initiative presents us with an opportunity to collaborate with the community in a new way,” said VCU pres. Michael Rao. “It is through our collective action that we can, along with our partners in the community, help create long-term, sustainable solutions to difficult social problems. Working together, our goal is to create a sustainable presence in the East End that addresses the community’s needs and demonstrates the collective commitment of VCU and VCU Health to the neighborhood.”
Currently, more than 15 VCU and VCU Health academic and clinical units signed up to offer services and programming at the health education and wellness center, creating an interprofessional training ground for students and faculty.
The 5,600-square-foot facility will include screening and consultation spaces, a community room, health education library and student and faculty space, along with ample parking, security and lighting. The center will be located adjacent to the full-service, 27,000-square-foot grocery store. The health education and wellness center will be integrated into the customer experience at the grocery store, empowering consumers to make healthy choices and conveniently access services.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Sophia Belletti
Sophia is a senior print/online journalism student pursuing a minors in history and gender, sexuality and women’s studies. Over the summer she interned at ABC7-WJLA in the sports department. She enjoys writing about current events and sports and hopes to one day be a sports reporter on the sidelines of game seven of the NBA Finals or in the press box at the World Series.
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bellettisr@commonwealthtimes.org
Kudos to this initiative. As a retired public health professional, I see this interdisciplinary approach an excellent way to address the basic needs of this community in promoting wellness.