(From left) John Newby, CEO of Virginia Bio, with Jeff Gallagher and Richard T. Marconi, recipients of the 2022 Outstanding Contributions to Bioscience Award (Photo by Richard Boyd courtesy Virginia Bio)
Making a Difference
Virginia Bio announces recipients of its 2022 Outstanding Contributions to Bioscience Award
Since 2013, Virginia Bio has been recognizing groundbreaking work in the biosciences in the commonwealth through its Virginia Bio Outstanding Contributions to Bioscience Award. Virginia Bio, a statewide nonprofit trade association based in Richmond, promotes innovations in the life sciences industry. On April 28 at the association’s THRiVE conference in Roanoke, they presented the biennial awards to Virginia Commonwealth University researcher Richard T. Marconi and former Virginia Bio CEO Jeff Gallagher.
Marconi is internationally recognized for his work in combating Lyme disease. While he successfully created a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs in 2016, he is now working toward an early-stage diagnostics test and a Lyme vaccine for people. Gallagher shaped Virginia Bio into the life science advocate it is today while serving as its CEO from 2012 to 2019. This year, he was recognized for his work to strengthen the life science community and showcase Virginia’s health accomplishments to national and international audiences. He is now the interim executive director of Alliance for Building Better Medicine, a group that is using new chemical and engineering processes to manufacture high-quality, low cost generic medicines in the United States with a lower environmental impact, according to the organization’s website.
Collegiate School gets an early start to the LemonAid fundraiser, with a stand set up on June 1. (Photo courtesy Collegiate School)
Making LemonAid
Annual CHOR fundraiser sets its sights on a $100,000 goal for 2022
These aren’t your ordinary lemonade stands. As part of the 22nd annual Anthem LemonAid event, lemonade stands will be set up across the Richmond area to raise funds for hematology and oncology services at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Since the first Anthem LemonAid fundraiser in 2000, the event has raised more than $1.1 million for the hospital. Those interested in hosting a lemonade stand may register online at anthemlemonaid.com until July 19. The stands will be open from Friday, July 22, to Sunday, July 24. The goal for this year’s campaign is to raise $100,000. Event ambassador Thomas Carley will visit lemonade stands throughout the weekend. An 11-year-old CHOR patient with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Carley ran a lemonade stand on June 1 with his classmates at Collegiate School to spread support and awareness for the hospital while enjoying some lemonade.
Dr. Leanne Yanni (Photo courtesy Bon Secours)
Dual Roles
Dr. Leanne Yanni assumes second management post with Bon Secours
Dr. Leanne Yanni is the new chief medical officer of ambulatory care for the Bon Secours Richmond market. The New York native has worked in the Richmond community for over 20 years. In addition to her new role, Yanni will retain her position as vice president of medical affairs for Bon Secours. Both positions allow her to offer services to patients in the vulnerable state between hospitalization and returning home, she says.
Dr. Thomas Wold (Photo courtesy HCA HealthCare)
Head of the Class
HCA Healthcare Capital Division names a new administrator for graduate medical education
Dr. Thomas Wold assumed his duties as division vice president of graduate medical education for the HCA Healthcare Capital Division on April 1. In his new position, he will oversee the hospital system’s residency and fellowship programs. Wold’s tenure as chief medical officer of Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire included helping launch a similar program for graduate medical education and improving quality outcomes in the facility. HCA’s Capital Division includes facilities in Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and New Hampshire.
Crunching Numbers
University of Richmond students to create mathematical analysis of opioid crisis intervention programs
Joanna Wares, a University of Richmond math professor and department chair, has received a grant to work with undergraduate students who will build math models to predict, compare and contrast various interventions in stemming the opioid crisis. The work is funded through $31,000 from the Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics, and Wares will work with professor Zeynep Teymuroglu of Rollins College in Florida. Together, they’ll engage undergraduate students from both schools to predict the impact of possible interventions. Wares says that she is excited to see how different methods, such as having social workers in hospitals, affect the crisis in Virginia and Florida.
