Community Engagement

UVA Department of Surgery

University of Virginia Collage with Surgery Department Doctors

Message from the Vice Chair for Community Engagement and Wellness

Welcome to the Department of Surgery at UVA Health.
As Vice Chair for Community Engagement and Wellness, I am honored to lead our department’s efforts to create a welcoming environment for all. At the heart of our mission is the belief that the unique perspectives of our people strengthen innovation, drive excellence, and foster the kind of collaboration necessary to achieve the best outcomes for our patients, trainees, and colleagues.

Our department is deeply committed to addressing gaps in healthcare outcomes and promoting medical education in our community. Through recruitment, mentorship, and development programs, we aim to cultivate a surgical community that meets the needs of the population serve. We work collaboratively to ensure that every member of our team, regardless of background, feels valued and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.

In partnership with our institutional and community stakeholders, we are implementing initiatives to eliminate barriers to care and improve health outcomes for all of our patients. Our work is driven by the understanding that ensuring optimal outcomes for those who entrust their lives to us, is not just a professional responsibility—it is a moral imperative.

I invite you to join us in this important work. Whether you are a patient, a student, a faculty member, or a community partner, your voice and perspective are vital to our shared mission. Together, we can shape the future of surgery and healthcare to ensure that it is innovative, fair, and accessible to all.

Thank you for visiting our website, and I encourage you to explore the resources and initiatives we have to offer.

Warm regards,
Adanna C. Akujuo, MD
Vice Chair for Community Engagement and Wellness
Department of Surgery, UVA Health

Housestaff Community Development Initiative (HCDI)

HCDI Leadership affiliated with the Department of Surgery:

Chioma Moneme, MD, MBA – Co-President, 2023-2024 (general surgery resident)
Anthony Norman, MD – Co-President, 2023-2024 (general surgery resident)
Perry Bradford, MD – Vice President, 2022-2023 (integrated plastic surgery resident)
Erik Scott, MD – President, 2022-2023 (integrated cardiothoracic surgery resident)
Markie Fleming II, MD – President, 2017-2020 (general surgery resident)
Allison Martin, MD, MPH – Treasurer, 2017-2019 (general surgery resident)

2024: Sixth Annual Trainee Conference Focuses on Housing Insecurity and Health

2022: Inaugural Department of Surgery HCDI Resident Scholarship Awarded

2021: HCDI Working Group recommendations completed

2020: HCDI organizes four working groups in education, policy, research, and professional development to develop policies and programs and to foster a welcoming environment for the department.

2020: Department of Surgery opens HCDI to all faculty and residents in the UVA School of Medicine.

2020: Visiting Professorship for General Surgery Residency Alumni, as mid-level faculty, established

2018: Trainee Community Development Conference launched by Surgery residents Drs. Allison Martin and Markie Fleming, now an annual conference organized by HCDI

2017: Department of Surgery Community Development Plan written, outlining goals, strategies and success metrics

2017: Surgery residents co-found Housestaff Community Development Initiative (HCDI)

HCDI works with residents from other departments and provides a council where residents can build fellowship and develop initiatives that improve recruitment and foster a supportive training environment.

Community Engagement Programs

The department is committed to participating in pathway programs into science and medicine, supporting local youth.

University of Virginia Surgery STEM Kit Distribution

During the pandemic, the department contributed to the Charlottesville City Schools iSTEM program by helping create and distribute in-home STEM teaching kits to elementary school children missing access to in-classroom teaching activities.

Surgery is a departmental sponsor for the University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Summer Opportunities in Academic Research (SOAR) program. SOAR seeks to encourage local high school students to pursue careers in science by offering a summer program in biomedical research and clinical medicine exposure.

The department participates in the Summer Medical Leadership Program (SMLP), providing shadowing experiences for undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in medicine.

Food Insecurity in the Community: Dr. Jeffrey Gander, a pediatric surgeon in the UVA Department of Surgery and his partners in the Department of Pediatrics are working to tackle food insecurity in the community. When children come to a clinic visit at UVA Children’s, their families are screened for food insecurity. If interested, they are offered non-perishable food items for the Battle Building Healthy Food Pantry to take home that day. For patients who live in the Charlottesville or Albemarle County area, they can join a fresh fruit and vegetable program. UVA has partnered with a not-for-profit Local Food Hub to deliver a bi-weekly share of fresh food to the house of our patients with food insecurity. The food comes from local Virginia farmers. Dr. Gander recently received a large grant from the USDA to study the effect on health outcomes of the fresh food program. Pediatric Team Bringing Fresh, Healthy Food to Those in Need | UVA Today

City of Promise: UVA Surgery has partnered with City of Promise to provide K-12 students with an exciting opportunity for immersive, hands-on learning and medical career exploration. City of Promise is a Charlottesville-based organization committed to eliminating generational poverty through coaching, mentoring, tutoring, and goal-setting for underserved children in the community. As part of the organization’s annual “Tour of the Town” program, students visit various local institutions to learn about potential career options for the future. This past year, the students visited the Simulation Center where they had a chance to interact with the OR simulation mannikin and learn how to prepare patients for surgery. They also got hands-on practice intubating and using ultrasound machines to identify organs. The rest of the day was spent touring the perioperative surgical home, interacting with the multi-disciplinary OR family, learning about the paths to different careers in Periop, and practicing “gowning up” for sterile procedures. They rounded out the day with a visit to an outpatient clinic.

Erik Scott, MD (left) and Bridgette Love, MD (right)

2024: Resident Erik Scott, MD & Colleague Awarded ACGME Back to Bedside Award
UVA Surgery resident Erik Scott, MD and Anesthesiology resident, Dr. Bridgette Love, recently received a Back to Bedside Project award from the national Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The pair was awarded a $15,000 grant in summer 2024 to lead the UVA Anesthesiology and Surgery Spanish Perioperative Augmentation Initiative (SPAIN). This initiative seeks to improve the perioperative experience for Spanish-speaking patients by providing Spanish-language training and certification for residents in multiple programs throughout UVA Health. This competitive national funding opportunity, given to only 30 resident/fellow teams per cycle, is a remarkable way to celebrate and support innovative ideas across the country that have the potential to enhance the clinical experience and allow physicians to connect more fully with their patients and colleagues. Their cross-departmental collaboration is very impressive, as is the program that they developed that will lead to more culturally sensitive care for our patients.

University of Virginia Courtney Lattimore, MD, Sugery — Courtney Lattimore, MD

2024: Courtney Lattimore, MD and Chioma Moneme, MD Nominated for Women Who Inspire Inclusion Awards in Honor of Women’s History Month
Courtney Lattimore, MD and Chioma Moneme, MD demonstrate an outstanding commitment to making UVA an equitable space for all people. Dr. Lattimore received a nomination for her continual pursuit of equitable patient care: “Dr. Lattimore leads by example. She actively seeks out opportunities to amplify underrepresented voices in medicine and ensure that all patients receive the highest standard of care...” Dr. Moneme, who serves as the GME House Staff Council for Diversity and Inclusion Co-President was nominated for her advocacy for diversity in medicine: “Chioma is a mentor and a recognized leader possessed of high moral values and integrity, who, in all of her activities and interactions, seeks to identify structural barriers that contribute to inequity and works to dismantle those.”

Mark Fleming II, MD (left) with HCDI Co-Presidents, Drs. Anothony Norman and Chioma Moneme.

2024: Mark Fleming II, MD, Honored with Inaugural Eponymous Mark A. Fleming, II, MD Award
Mark Fleming II, MD, was honored with the inaugural eponymous Mark A. Fleming, II, MD Award, which recognizes advocacy and advancement of inclusion in Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Fleming is the co-founder of the Housestaff Community Development Initiative (HCDI).

2024: Gabrielle Steinl, MD Named Recipient of the Department of Surgery HCDI Resident Scholarship
Dr. Steinl will be focusing on a healthcare career pathway program for local Charlottesville students through City of Promise.

University of Virginia Mark Fleming, II, MD, Surgery — Mark Fleming, II, MD

2021: Markie Fleming, II, MD MS, Martin Luther King Jr. Health System Award
Established in 2013, Dr. Martin Luther King University of Virginia Health System Award is presented annually to a student, faculty or staff member of the Health System who embodies Dr. Martin Luther King’s values and teachings, in cultural competence, gaps in healthcare outcomes, or fostering a welcoming environment, in accordance with the institution’s mission and values.

Markie Fleming, II, MD MS and Courtney Lattimore, MD: Inaugural recipients of Department of Surgery HCDI Resident Scholarship
Over this 2-year scholarship, Drs. Fleming and Lattimore will focus on improving the 4th year medical student experience on Surgery, with special emphasis on students visiting UVA.

University of Virginia Anneke Schroen, MD, Surgery — Anneke Schroen, MD

2020: Anneke Schroen, MD, MPH: Sharon L. Hostler Women in Medicine Leadership Award
The Hostler Award recognizes excellence in several of the following areas: clinical care, teaching, scholarship, mentoring, research, leadership, community service, commitment to continuous learning, and exerting influence in fostering a better institutional environment by advocating for women’s issues.

University of Virginia Sandra Kabagambe, MD, Surgery — Sandra Kabagambe, MD

University of Virginia Goldaracena, MD, Surgery — Nicolas Goldaracena, MD

Department of Surgery Faculty Selected for Participation in iDRIV
Designed to support researchers, the year-long iDRIV program augments early career faculty development through education, coaching, mentorship and sponsorship.

University of Virginia Ileana Mauldin, PhD, Surgery — Ileana Mauldin, PhD

iDRIV Scholars from the Department of Surgery:
Sandra Kabagambe, MD (2021-22)
Nicolas Goldaracena, MD (2021-22)
Paola Vargas, MD (2021-22)
Ileana Mauldin, PhD (2022-23)
Lily Cheng, MD (2023-24)