VCOM 2025 Annual Report

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VCOM-Virginia Community and State Outreach Highlights

Healthcare and Medical Outreach Franklin County Health Fair Sept. 6 – VCOM faculty and students provi ded free community health services such as blood pressure checks, vision screenings, and women’s health education. CORE Symposium Sept. 24 – The inaugural CORE Sympos ium, Expanding Holistic Health with Community Partnerships, showcased student-led research conducted in collaboration with local nonprofit organizations. Teams of six students partnered with 15 community organizations to design applied research initiatives that address immediate community needs while supporting long term goals. These collaborations emphasized identifying opportunities for meaningful, sustainable impact. AMMSA Health Fair Feb. 20 – VCOM-Virginia’s American Medical Muslim Student Association partnered with the Islamic Society of the New River Valley to host a free health check up station at t he Ramadan Bazaar. Attendees received blood pressure screenings, lifestyle counseling, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations, and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) for pain relief.

Community Service VRHA: YMCA at Virginia Tech VCOM students worked directly with the Virginia Rural Health Association to fulfill monthly volunteer commitments in support of the YMCA at Virginia Tech. VCOM students served by volunteering with after-school programs, the Joining Generations youth program, sustainability initiatives, and worked at the YMCA thrift shop, a non-profit organization that supports these programs as well as the Wheels on Main program, which addresses the increasing need for food support in our community. AMWA: Women’s Resource Center Volunteers with the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) assist staff at the Women’s Resource Center by supporting shelter services and maintaining the Crisis Hotline year-round. Students also contribute through emergency advocacy, working with children, special projects such as decorating transitional housing units, and organizing resident events. In addition, students hosted two successful toilet paper and paper towel drives, as well as a bra donation drive.

Public Health and Advocacy AOASM: Warm Hearth Posture, Balance & Gait Classes VCOM students representing our chapter of the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine assist with weekly “Posture, Balance & Gait” classes for seniors at Warm Hearth Village, a local retirement community. These classes focus on improving mobility, stability, and posture, featuring exercises to enhance core strength and balance, sometimes in collaboration with specialized research teams. From research opportunities to fellowship and support at their annual Cheeseburger in Parrot Dise fundraiser, this program is one of the many ways VCOM Virginia shares a beneficial relationship with Warm Hearth Village community.

Education and Youth Engagement SEE Camp

Durin g the final two weeks of June, VCOM-Virginia welcomed rising high school juniors and seniors to its highly sought-after, cost-free STEM-H program, the Summer Enrichment Experience (SEE). Led by Tiffani Carpenetti, DO, SEE