Engaging the Community, Providing Hopes

Founded in the 1970s as a grassroots effort to provide care to the underserved population of Hampton Roads, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) has long been committed to community-centered care. The HOPES Free Clinic is a manifestation of that mission. Launched in 2011 as a student-run phone triage service, the Health Outreach Partnership of EVMS Students (HOPES) later transitioned to provide direct clinical services—becoming the first student-run free clinic in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2014, HOPES integrated into Community Engaged Learning to enhance and solidify its efforts. Since its inception, medical and health professions students have partnered with volunteer physicians from Norfolk and the greater Hampton Roads area to deliver high-quality care at no cost to those in need. Now part of the newly established Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences EVMS at Old Dominion University (Brock VHS EVMS at ODU), HOPES continues to uphold the founding ideals of equity, education, and service. The clinic provides sustainable, student-led healthcare while creating meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for future health professionals. At its core, HOPES fosters a welcoming environment where students grow into compassionate providers, and community members feel empowered to take charge of their health.