Healthcare and Public Health

Spiders engage with organizations that provide quality healthcare services, promote wellness, and advance public health initiatives. Learn more about our community relationships, then click the link to explore current opportunities with each organization. 

Healthcare and Public Health organizations are also in need of one-time volunteers, and these opportunities are posted as they become available.

Community Relationships & Opportunities

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Additional Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
Student and Staff Liaisons

For more information about Healthcare & Public Health opportunities, contact:

Susannah Carter, ’25, susannah.carter@richmond.edu
Blake Stack, bstack@richmond.edu

Peer Advisors can also answer any questions about their volunteer experiences at the following organizations:

Campus Connections

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  • University of Richmond Best Buddies

    Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our University of Richmond Chapter connects to young adults with IDD’s in the Richmond area to University of Richmond students to offer events, bonding opportunities, and advocacy. University of Richmond Students are encouraged to join as a Peer Buddy or an Associate Member and attend our monthly events which include everything from spider athletics to cookie decorating to pajama movie parties. It’s a great way to get involved in the community, make new friends or even get a leadership position in an internationally recognized non-profit.

  • Camp Kesem
    Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent’s cancer. Kesem’s flagship program, Camp Kesem, operates over 100 free summer camps across the country for children ages 6 to 18 who have been impacted by a parent’s cancer. Kesem programs have a lasting impact on children by providing them a peer-support network that understands their unique needs, builds confidence and strengthens their communication skills. Camp Kesem at University of Richmond was founded in 2009 and supports children in the Richmond community by providing a free week-long summer camp experience and year-round peer support. Camp Kesem at University of Richmond is operated by 45 student volunteers and serves 90 campers ages 6-18 per year.

  • Pre-Health Web

    The Pre-Health Web’s mission is to provide equal and equitable opportunities and resources to all pre-health undergraduate students, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, and any other identity.

  • Relay for Life
    UR Relay for Life is committed to raising awareness and money for the American Cancer Society. The club hosts fundraisers and a large event in the spring (the Relay) with cancer survivors, speakers, and participants.
  • UR-EMS
    University of Richmond Emergency Medical Services (UREMS) is a student-run organization of dedicated first responders who offer assistance in the event of a medical emergency on campus.

Relevant Courses

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  • HS 202 Patients and Providers

    Examines the roles of the various professionals involved in providing healthcare services, including diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitation services for inpatients and outpatients; the ways that patients from a diversity of racial/ethnic, sex/gender, age, rural/urban, and other backgrounds access and experience the healthcare system; and the ways that patients and practitioners understand health, healing, illness, disability, and death. 

  • HS 240 Law and Medicine
    Examines the intersection of law and medicine, primarily in medical malpractice litigation and also by looking at other areas of medical jurisprudence including state and federal health care regulation.
  • LAIS 307 Medical Spanish: Health and Medicine in the Community
    This class collaborates with Spanish-speaking communities in Richmond through volunteering and community projects with local clinics, healthcare providers, and community centers. Students apply their knowledge in Health Studies using their second language skills to connect the Spanish-speaking community with health services, and become familiar with the central aspects of translating and interpreting in the healthcare field. We approach the relationship between doctor and patient by reflecting on the relationship between illnesses/diseases, culture, and social class.
  • LDST 290: Healthcare, the Environment, and Biomedicine
    Students should expect to volunteer at local health-related organizations, including CrossOver Health, the Richmond City Health Department, VCU Health System, and the James River Association as part of their class.
  • PLSC 365 U.S. Healthcare Policy and Politics
    Examination of political and economic evolution of the American healthcare system: doctors, hospitals, managed care, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance, public health, epidemiology, mental health, pediatric health, tort reform, and psychopharmacology, among other topics. Includes comparative analysis of other countries’ healthcare systems.
  • SOC 340 Sociology of Health and Illness
    Advanced course serving as an introduction to the sociological study of health and illness. Draws upon a critical sociological perspective to understand how society shapes health and health disparities. Investigates social factors that harm our health and well being, particularly those that produce disparities along major social strata (e.g., race and ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation).