Media Advisory: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine faculty and students participate in innovative partnership helping Roanoke City students without financial means get mandatory physicals
WHAT: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) faculty and students are volunteering as part of an innovative partnership that helps children without financial means receive their mandatory school physicals. Dozens of immigrant and refugee children in Roanoke are given free school physicals through a collaboration between Bradley Free Clinic, Roanoke City Public Schools, VTCSOM, Carilion Clinic, and the Roanoke City Health Department.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
WHERE: Bradley Free Clinic, 1240 3rd St SW, Roanoke, VA 24016
WHO: Vydia Permashwar, VTCSOM associate professor of pediatrics, Carilion Clinic pediatrician, and one of the founders of the school physical clinic will be providing physicals and be available for interviews along with VTCSOM students.
Interviews with patients will be pending their consent.
BACKGROUND: In 2019, Dr. Vydia Permashwar and other Bradley Free Clinic volunteers started seeing pediatric patients after hours whenever schedules would allow. This led to pop-up clinics and eventually, school physicals became a monthly occurrence at Bradley Free Clinic. School officials determine who is eligible for the clinic and help families with paperwork and transportation. As of June, 184 students have been served by the clinic.
To be eligible, students and their families must not have access to health insurance. For families who qualify, their children receive a complete physical exam, which includes vitals, vaccines provided by the Roanoke Health Department, blood work, and vision screenings. Some of the most common diagnoses are tooth decay, developmental delays, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder from their often long and grueling journeys.
Read more: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2023/06/vtcsom-schoolphysicals.html.
Media RSVP: Media should RSVP to Margaret Ashburn in the media relations office at mkashburn@vt.edu or 540-529-0814 by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19.