Twelve-year-old Daniel struggled to see his teacher and the whiteboard from the back of his classroom. He described the frustrating experience like this: “In school, sometimes my teacher puts us in the back. I can’t see from the back, so I have to move, but sometimes there aren’t any seats.”
Daniel and his family do not have health insurance. When they were first connected with CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, a non-profit organization that provides healthcare to low-income, uninsured, and medically underserved adults and children, Daniel came to the organization’s Henrico clinic for a primary care visit and vision exam. He was excited to learn he would receive free glasses within a few weeks.
Daniel is one of more than 600 pediatric patients who consider CrossOver their healthcare home. For its pediatric patients, CrossOver provides annual physicals, sick visits, dental and eye care, mental health counseling, vaccinations, wraparound support through case management, and school-readiness services.
Catherine Allison, volunteer pediatric nurse practitioner, says the pediatric clientele at CrossOver is not an “invisible minority population” that Richmonders will never encounter. “They are their kids’ classmates, who they’re playing with on the playground, and their kids’ teammates. Their families are an integral part of our community here,” adds Allison.
Evolution of CrossOver
In the early 1980s, Richmond residents Dr. Cullen B. Rivers and Reverend Buddy Childress began to brainstorm about how to best utilize resources to help families. In the beginning, the two tried to meet every need they saw in the community – from legal counsel to financial needs to medical care. Over time, they came to believe that quality healthcare was the essential first step to addressing other needs, so they focused their efforts.
CrossOver gradually expanded and now serves more than 6,600 patients per year, providing compassionate healthcare to ages three and up through its two Richmond-area clinics. Service areas now include primary care, specialty care, pediatrics, eye care, dental care, mental health counseling, case management, women’s health and OB services, HIV/AIDS care and testing, medications and medication management, and a hospital discharge program.
Resilience to Meet Healthcare Needs
Danielle Avula, MD, assistant medical director at CrossOver, says the pandemic was a challenging time for communities and healthcare providers alike.
Despite those challenges, during the past two years, CrossOver has experienced growth in its obstetrics, dental, and HIV/AIDS care programs. Virginia Health Care Foundation’s multi-year grant for the OB and dental programs, along with recent grants from Sentara Healthcare and Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation, provided resources to increase staffing and appointment availability. A Virginia Health Catalyst grant also provided a virtual appointment component for high-risk dental patients. As a result, CrossOver’s OB clientele has doubled, and these clients may now receive faster access to dental care. Most recently, the HIV/AIDS care program relocated from CrossOver’s Richmond Clinic to its Henrico Clinic, increasing capacity with additional exam rooms, a dedicated waiting area, consultation rooms, and adequate private office space for case management. This relocation enables CrossOver to see more clients in a space designed specifically for them.
“Our resiliency as an organization enabled us to provide care during the pandemic without interruption,” says Dr. Avula. “We continue to be committed to our role as a compassionate healthcare home for thousands of Richmond-area families, but the need in our community continues to outpace the number of clients we can currently serve.”
Looking Ahead
CEO Julie Bilodeau looks forward to CrossOver’s future, which includes renovations and expansion to help the organization serve more clients. She says engaging the community for support is critical to making this happen.
“We could not do this important work without our incredible volunteers, staff, donors, and community partners,” says Bilodeau. “We rely on the generosity and compassion of our community to help us meet the everyday healthcare needs of our neighbors.”
Bilodeau acknowledges that the community’s support is crucial for success to continue. “We need to ensure that community members have access to high quality healthcare through CrossOver because healthcare is foundational and everyone deserves access,” she adds. “When a person is healthy, they’re able to maintain employment, take care of their family, be prepared to learn in school, like Daniel, and live a more fulfilling life.”
