Toni Said is a super mom. However, even those with seemingly endless energy, passion and strength need help every once in a while.

For Said, the support came from VCU’s College of Health Professions and its commitment to her and her community. Several years ago, the Bristol, Va., resident was in search of a new career path and wanted to enter the health care field.

But there was a major catch: She’d need to start from scratch for another bachelor’s degree. The mother of three was driven to take on a new challenge, but the classroom and family room needed to be close by – a necessity in a region where educational options are limited.

Then she learned about the CHP, which offered a program to meet her goals in Abingdon. “It was perfect for me,” Said recalled. “I wouldn’t have been able to move for school with three kids and a business at home. I knew this was my best chance, and I don’t regret it for a second.”

In 2017, she completed her second bachelor’s degree, this time in medical  laboratory sciences, after attending VCU classes in her hometown. As a member of the Abingdon MLS distance learning program’s second cohort, she experienced firsthand the benefits of two-way synchronous videoconferencing, on-site faculty and fully equipped simulation labs that allow students at remote sites to participate in real-time learning experiences with peers in Richmond.

“We were very much part of the class,” Said said. “The best thing about the remote site is that there aren’t as many people, so we probably had more attention because there were fewer students.”

Choosing to study at the Abingdon campus provided Said with more than just convenience. It gave her a path to a fulfilling career as a medical technologist at Bristol Regional Medical Center, where she now works with laboratory specimens to assist doctors in diagnosing patients. Said’s journey also included overcoming licensing challenges unique to her region.

“They went to great lengths to help me get my license,” she said, referring to VCU faculty members who advocated for her during a critical Tennessee Board of Licensing meeting. “They got up for three hours in front of the board and argued the case for VCU and how the Tennessee board rules were written. That day, they won the case, and I got my license.”

Joshua W. Williams, Ph.D., assistant professor and coordinator of the Medical Laboratory Sciences program at the Abingdon campus, knows the importance of programs like VCU’s in rural communities. A native of Southwest Virginia, he emphasizes that distance programs are vital in keeping health care professionals close to home.

“We’re training health care professionals here because there’s a need for health care delivery in a rural facility,” Williams said. “VCU’s commitment to having the program here shows that we care about health care, not just in an urban environment.”

Williams teaches all microbiology courses for the MLS program, including parasitology, bacteriology and advanced microbiology. His focus on improving scores in microbiology is matched by his dedication to making students feel connected, even if they’re hundreds of miles apart.

“One of the nicest pieces of feedback that I got was from a student who said it didn’t feel like I was at a distance,” Williams said. “That’s my main concern: I want them to feel like they can interact and that we’re not disconnected in any way.”

For more than a decade, CHP has been delivering healthcare education at distance learning sites across Virginia, including Abingdon, Roanoke and Northern Virginia. VCU offers both the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice and MLS programs in Abingdon, with each site equipped for immersive learning.

Students take the same classes, receive the same degree and interact with faculty members just as they would in Richmond, thanks to the program’s infrastructure and design. VCU’s model not only supports the students but also addresses a critical need in the region.

By connecting students at distance sites, the college allows students to remain rooted in their lives and communities. Videoconferencing allows VCU to maintain academic consistency and quality, while reaching students who might otherwise lack access. Williams emphasized this approach plays a unique role in reversing the region’s brain drain, where young talent often leaves for better opportunities in larger cities.

“VCU is committed to promoting health care training and better access to health care in the most rural areas of the state,” Williams said. “Our students are getting good jobs that pay well in this area. For many of them, it can change their lives.”

Said is one of those. Having the chance to pursue her degree locally nurtured both her professional growth and sense of giving back. She now helps train the next generation of medical technologists at Bristol Regional Medical Center.

“It was great because I could stay close to home,” she said, “and get a top-notch education.”

By Dan Carrigan