At HOPES, our mission is to provide sustainable healthcare services to underserved Hampton Roads residents while promoting a unique learning experience for members of the EVMS community.

In 2011, medical students at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) recognized a growing need for healthcare within the uninsured population in Norfolk and responded by establishing a student-run free clinic, HOPES (Health Outreach Partnership of EVMS Students), to improve quality of life in the community by providing primary and specialty medical care.

As the only free clinic in Norfolk and the first student-run free clinic in Virginia, HOPES has served more than 1,000 uninsured adult residents with its capacity to provide care to 20-25 patients during two evening clinics per week. The clinic is staffed by volunteer EVMS student clinicians, residents and physicians, who work together to provide patient-centered care.