The Three‑Part Mission Behind Better Health

Story by Caitlin Hanbury

Video by Tyler Trumbo and Tim Shea | Photos by Daniel Sangjib Min 

VCU Health is where today’s medical breakthroughs inform tomorrow’s advances in lifesaving care. 

That’s possible because VCU Health is an academic medical center, bringing care, research and education together under one roof. Only 3% of hospitals in the U.S. operate this way, and that rare model enables VCU Health to link discovery with care, prepare the clinicians communities will rely on and support strong outcomes across routine, rare and complex conditions. 

A Model of Care 

Because VCU Health integrates research and education with clinical practice, it offers a level of coordinated expertise beyond that found in most hospitals. It is home to a workforce of over 12,000 employees, including thousands of skilled health care providers across 200 specialties who work together in team‑based models, giving patients with rare or complex conditions access to interdisciplinary, evidence‑driven care shown to improve outcomes. And because care, training and research operate side by side, those teams can draw on emerging evidence as it develops, strengthening diagnosis, coordination and treatment. 

“The wonderful thing about our medical school and our health system is that no one sees this as a race—they see it as a relay,” said Art Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., who served as dean of the VCU School of Medicine before taking a position as interim executive vice president and provost for VCU.  “Building teams where people are willing to share, where it’s truly about teamwork, and where no one person does it alone is really our signature model.” 

Turning Questions Into Breakthroughs 

Curiosity is at the heart of VCU Health. Scientists, clinicians and trainees work side by side to ask hard questions about disease, treatment, prevention and how to improve outcomes for patients and communities. They study patterns, test new ideas and search for better ways to promote healthier outcomes, diagnose illness, deliver care and prevent disease before it starts, fueling a constant cycle in which new evidence shapes care and patient needs raise the next set of questions. 

“I have learned that people here are motivated by very personal things—a parent with cancer, a sister with liver disease, a sick child. When you bring that purpose into research, that becomes passion,” Dr. Saavedra said. 

With more than 12,000 participants in over 700 clinical trials last fiscal year, VCU Health sustains one of the region’s most active research enterprises. 

This research doesn’t happen in a distant lab or on a separate campus. It happens steps away from patient rooms, in environments and roles arranged to translate new ideas into real‑world care. When an innovation shows promise, patients at academic medical center like VCU Health are often the first to benefit through clinical trials or new care models, gaining access to options not yet available anywhere else. This model speeds new insights into practice quickly, so patients benefit as soon as evidence supports it. 

Training the Next Generation 

Students are essential to the mission and strength of an academic medical center like VCU Health. Roughly 4,500 students, residents and fellows come to VCU each year to learn from experienced clinicians. They gain exposure to complex conditions, advanced treatments and team‑based care models they would not encounter in most community settings. This experience prepares them to become the next generation of the providers and innovators that communities depend on, steadying the pipeline of those who will care for our communities in the years ahead. 

Students also fuel innovation. They bring fresh perspectives, new questions and a willingness to challenge assumptions. Working alongside researchers and clinicians, they develop the skills to spot gaps, identify opportunities for improvement and test solutions quickly. This constant exchange of ideas makes VCU Health a self renewing space for discovery, where curiosity drives better care and better care sparks the next breakthrough. 

Built to Do More 

Research fuels better care. Education strengthens the workforce. Care saves lives. VCU Health’s three‑part mission reflects a broader commitment to innovation, equitable care and the values that drive its pursuit of a healthier future for all. 

“An academic medical center doesn’t just teach one skillset, it teaches many in one,” Dr. Saavedra said. “It’s not thinking about disease, treatment or teaching—it’s about furthering the human condition. It’s about not passively evolving because of needs but actively evolving because that’s our moral imperative.”