Photo courtesy Sheltering Arms
Supportive Stimulus
A new tool at Sheltering Arms helps stroke patients make progress
For stroke survivors, regaining strength can feel like a long road defined by small, hard-won steps. But at Sheltering Arms, a novel application for a decades-old neurological treatment hopes to get patients in the fast lane to recovery.
The multilocation physical rehabilitation facility introduced Vivistim Paired Therapy — an FDA-approved neurostimulation system designed to strengthen the brain’s ability to relearn movement — in 2024 and, with the device, some users have regained arm and hand function that once seemed impossible.
“It really is groundbreaking technology,” says Michaela Torraca, an occupational therapist and clinical lead for stroke and brain injury rehabilitation at Sheltering Arms. “While the [Vivistim System] device has been used for more than 30 years in managing epilepsy, it’s the first time it’s been used for upper extremity therapy. It’s amazing.”
Torraca explains that Vivistim Therapy pairs traditional treatments, such as exercise, with targeted stimulation of the vagus nerve, located in the chest and a major part of the parasympathetic nervous system. The device — called the Vivistim System — is implanted just under the skin on the left side of the chest, with small leads wrapped around the vagus nerve, similar to a pacemaker. When activated, it stimulates the brain’s neuroplasticity, essentially helping it “pay attention” when a patient practices specific movements.
After having the device installed, patients undergo a six-week intensive therapy program consisting of three 90-minute sessions per week focused on grasping, releasing, reaching and other functional hand and arm tasks.
“Every time a patient attempts a movement, I can deliver a precise stimulation that reinforces what they’re trying to do,” Torraca says. “The [physical] therapy itself doesn’t change; we’re still practicing the same meaningful tasks, but the stimulation makes those repetitions more effective.”
Vivistim is especially promising for those who are months or even years beyond their stroke, where many in recovery find a limit to further progress, Torraca adds. “We’ve seen people 30 years out from their stroke make gains,” she says. “It’s a great option for anyone who’s plateaued and wants to keep improving.” —Kaitlin Davis
On the Rise
Health care costs increase for Virginia’s state insurance plans
Health insurance premiums for plans in Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace have risen by an average of more than 20% this year, driven by a combination of rising hospital and pharmacy costs, according to the State Corporation Commission, and are even higher for some due to the expiration of federal subsidies. For approximately 400,000 residents in the Richmond region who rely on individual and small group insurance, this means a monthly increase of as much as $300, according to the SCC. This is the largest individual market rate increase since 2018.
Deepak Madala, the director of Enroll Virginia, helps individuals navigate the health care enrollment process. Madala notes that some enrollees may see their monthly premiums rise by as much as 200% due to the expiration of enhanced tax credits. The debate around extending those tax credits was central to the government shutdown in late 2025. “If they were to stay in the exact same plan in 2026, that’s jumping quite a bit,” he says. Many families are struggling to afford the rising premiums, Madala says. But going without insurance poses greater health risks, which could prove costlier.
Madala says going without insurance also contributes to price increases. “The more people you can enroll in a plan, the lower it can be for everybody,” he explains. When younger, healthier people opt to forgo health insurance, prices go up for the older consumers who remain.
In Richmond, there has been a pattern of declining uninsured rates in the last decade, with 10% of people currently uninsured, according to research firm DATAUSA, but this number is expected to grow. The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a Richmond-based think tank, predicts that an additional 310,000 people will be kicked off of health insurance and remain uninsured this year due to the rise in health insurance rates.
The choice between lower premiums with higher deductibles or being uninsured forces Virginians to find other options for health care. For uninsured Richmond residents, free health clinics and outpatient facilities help fill gaps in the health care system. in Richmond, such as Crossover Healthcare Ministry, Daily Planet Health Services and Health Brigade provide general and specialized care to uninsured residents. —Annabel Granger
Photo courtesy Children’s Hospital of Richmond
A Healing Medium
A local hospital’s gallery will showcase patients’ artistic sides
Art has the power to heal, and a forthcoming gallery at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU aims to show off that power from patients’ perspectives. Last fall, VCU Health received a $550,000 gift from philanthropist Susie Bogese and her family to establish a showroom at the Children’s Tower that allows patients to explore their creativity through paintings, jewelry, pottery and more.
Set to open this summer, the gallery will be located across from the Child Life Zone, an activity space on the first floor. The space will be managed by VCU Health’s Arts in Healthcare program, giving patients a chance to view others’ creations and feel inspired to contribute their own. Staff will support and guide children as they make art through a variety of mediums and offer them the chance to host solo art shows.
The funds were donated in honor of Jessica “Jessie” Bogese, who died in March 2021 at the age of 42. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth and took a strong interest in art and painting at a young age.
“Jessie never assumed she couldn’t do something; she believed she could do anything she put her mind to,” says Susie Bogese, Jessie’s mother. —Chase Wilson
Well on the Way
A roundup of new health care projects in the Richmond region
Hospitals
As population growth accelerates around the Richmond region, some of the area’s major hospital networks are looking to scale up. This fall, VCU Health, Bon Secours and HCA Healthcare submitted proposals to the Virginia Department of Health that would either expand or introduce hospitals in fast-growing Chesterfield County.
VCU Health’s proposal, recommended for approval by the VDH in October, would bring a new 66-bed hospital to Beach Road, with a target opening of 2030. This follows the health system’s recent interest in building a new home for its dental school and a 16-floor hospital tower on its MCV campus.
Bon Secours’ proposal, a 40-bed expansion to its existing St. Francis Medical Center — one of two hospitals in Chesterfield County — was also recommended for approval. In 2024, the hospital finalized a renovation project that added two floors and 110,000 square feet of improved facilities for general and specialty care.
Additionally, a proposed 60-bed hospital on Hull Street Road from HCA Healthcare was recommended for denial, with VDH staff noting HCA’s presence at nearby Chippenham and Johnston-Willis hospitals among other arguments. All recommendations will be shared with the state health commissioner, who will make a final consideration of these proposals this year.
Urgent Cares and Freestanding ERs
Hospitals aren’t the only expansions in the works for Richmond’s biggest health care providers. HCA Healthcare announced plans to introduce two freestanding emergency rooms, in Scott’s Addition and Chesterfield County on Iron Bridge Road, with both expected to open this year. The facilities, HCA’s ninth and 10th freestanding emergency rooms in the state, will aim to offer more immediate care to fast-growing areas of Richmond, according to the health care network.
As construction begins, HCA will also invest in three new urgent care centers in the region, expected to launch over the next two years. The plans suggest a push for quicker care centers in more urban environments, and competitors are following suit: Bon Secours opened an urgent care location last fall on S. Laburnum Avenue in Henrico, its 11th clinic in the region since 2023.
Pharmaceuticals
A wave of investment from public and private sources is fueling sizable projects for pharmaceutical manufacturing in Richmond. The largest commitment comes from Eli Lilly and Company, one of the world’s largest biomedical companies, currently planning a $5 billion manufacturing facility in Goochland’s West Creek Business Park. In a September 2025 announcement, the company and former Gov. Glenn Youngkin suggested the facility could bring 650 permanent jobs among other economic benefits; the outpost is expected to produce pharmaceutical ingredients and drug products for autoimmune and cancer treatments.
Other future pharma projects include an announced $54 million expansion of the local research and development office of Haleon. The Brook Road headquarters of the manufacturer of Advil and other products is hoping to modernize facilities and add a health care-focused internship for students at Virginia Commonwealth University and other Virginia colleges. —Kevin Johnson
