CrossOver Healthcare Ministry

04/01/2026

We're excited for Lee Mitchell to take the helm at Needle's Eye! CrossOver has a long connection with Needle's Eye since both were founded by Buddy Childress. Lee continues that legacy as a member of CrossOver's Board of Directors and now Executive Director of Needle's Eye Faith & Work Community!

Photo 1: (left to right) Buddy Childress, Lee Mitchell, and Jordan Maroon
Photo 2: Lee Mitchell, CrossOver board member and ED of Needle's Eye
Photo 3: Lee and his dear family
Photos by Needle's Eye Ministries

03/26/2026

Spring into Action: Caring for Caregivers RECAP | Nearly 300 women filled the Grand Ballroom at Jefferson Hotel Richmond last Thursday for a rich morning of connection and learning about how CrossOver cares for caregivers in our community.

Our speakers included Antoinette Essa - WTVR CBS 6, Dr. Elizabeth Sadock, and Dr. Danielle Sarah Avula who shared poignantly about caregiving and caregivers. We were reminded of what is needed along our own caregiving journeys and how CrossOver's staff and volunteers provide dignified, whole-person care to patients who are also caregivers to their own families and neighbors.

So far, more than $73,000 has been raised through this year's Spring into Action breakfast! We’re so thankful to our event sponsors, as well as each woman who joined us for showing your support for the caregivers in our community through your generous giving!

03/18/2026

We were grateful to have a group of nine Humphrey Fellows tackle some challenging questions for CrossOver as part of their fellowship program at VCU. They took a close look at Cultural Barriers to Breast Health Screening, Understanding and Reducing No-Shows, and AI-based Language Interpretation Devices, all in CrossOver's specific context.

This class of fellows, who are mid-career leaders in the areas of public health and substance abuse prevention and treatment in their home countries, came to Richmond from Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, India, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, and Pakistan. Over the course of 5 months, they conducted their own research and analysis to deepen CrossOver's understanding of these key issues and offer practical next steps.

“The questions the Fellows tackled are areas in which we are always looking for improvement and for them to bring their brilliant minds and lived experience to the table in such a robust way is an honor and blessing to our continued work,” said Dr. Mike Murchie, CrossOver's Medical Director.

We’re grateful for the impact this class of Humphrey Fellows made at CrossOver and are excited for the impact that will continue to make in their home countries and for the global health community!

Pictured: The 2026 Class of VCU Humphrey Fellows and members of CrossOver's staff and board following their Fellows' project presentations.

03/18/2026

We're so grateful for our partnership with the MedRVA Foundation and their strong support for our patients!

Kimberly came to the MedRVA Vision Clinic at CrossOver Healthcare Ministry seeking care for a persistent chalazion, an eyelid cyst that wasn’t resolving. She wasn’t experiencing noticeable vision concerns — but during her exam, something unexpected was uncovered.

Her vision was 20/60.

Through our foundation’s partnership with CrossOver, patients like Kimberly receive comprehensive eye care that looks beyond the immediate concern. Along with a referral for her cyst, she left with a new prescription and a clearer path forward.

Sometimes the most important care is the care you didn’t know you needed.

Learn more about the MedRVA Vision Clinic at CrossOver:
https://www.medrva.com/for-community/visionclinic

Alt text: The image depicts a patient smiling with our low vision optometrist after receiving quality care at the MedRVA Vision Clinic at CrossOver.

03/10/2026

We recently featured our Pharmacy window volunteers Dr. Hilton Almond and Dr. Jill Goldman in our Sunday Snapshot newsletter, because they stepped up to support medication access for our patients.

When staffing shortages meant that the hours for our medication pick-up windows were becoming more limited and less reliable for our patients, Dr Almond and Dr. Goldman readily stepped in to fill the gap and ensure that our patients could reliably access their medication and get any answers or consultations they might need regarding their prescriptions.

Read more at https://www.crossoverministry.org/stepping-up-for-medication-access/

We're so grateful for our volunteers who serve our neighbors in need with such compassion and commitment!

Not getting our Sunday Snapshot? Sign up with our link in bio!

03/02/2026

It's National Dental Assistants Week and we're celebrating our incredible team of dental assistants!

Yolanda, Betsy, Valeria, and Gaby (clockwise, from top left) make up CrossOver's superstar dental assistant team. Dr. Barnwell, CrossOver's dental program director, calls them "the best team of dental assistants anyone could ask for."

Last year, our dental team cared for patients across 4,520 visits, providing routine dental hygiene, diagnostic care and x-rays, routine extractions, fillings and restorative care, as well as partial dentures. Dental Assistants are integral to each patient visit—helping patient get settled and feel comfortable, taking x-rays, assessing vitals and health histories, educating patients on oral care and oral hygiene, scheduling appointments, sterilizing instruments and equipment, and assisting the dentist or hygienist during procedures — dental assistants really do it all! And on top of all those responsibilities, CrossOver’s dental assistants also serve as bilingual interpreters!

Our dental assistants welcome patients with kindness and care. Their ability to provide high quality, bilingual dental care and their heart for each individual patient story exemplify CrossOver's mission. THANK YOU for the joy and care you bring each day to CrossOver's Dental Clinic!

02/26/2026

The Power of a Book | When a child under 5 comes in for their annual well-child visit at CrossOver, their pediatrician comes into the exam room with a book in hand. That book, provided by Reach Out and Read Virginia becomes a tool, not just for assessing language development and school readiness, but also for trust-building and connection between the child, their doctor, and their parent.

“Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based program that promotes childhood literacy, language skills, and school readiness... it’s really a great tool, and probably my favorite tool to use in the well-child checkup,” said Dr. Danielle Avula, CrossOver’s assistant medical director.

Through a partnership with the Robins Foundation, Reach Out and Read provides CrossOver with books to be given to every child at their annual well-child check. “[The books] are not only age- and developmentally appropriate, but ...many of the books are bilingual, which really supports our parents who can read in their native language, alongside their children who are also learning English,” said Avula.

Pictured: Volunteer pediatrician Dr. Robert Shayne shares a Reach Out and Read book with a patient and his family.

02/18/2026

We're grateful for the work of For Richmond in convening congregations and organizational leaders in developing partnerships to care for the needs of our community. We're sharing this invitation to An Evening of Unified Prayer, Learning & Action and hope you will join us there!

You are invited to join dozens of churches in the For Richmond network on Monday, Feb. 23rd from 7-8:30 p.m. for an evening of unified prayer and learning that will lead to future faithful action with and for our immigrant and refugee neighbors. The event will be hosted at Richmond’s First Baptist Church: 2709 Monument Avenue. This is a family friendly event but please note that childcare is not provided. Registration is required so that we can share parking details and other relevant information: www.forrichmond.org/events

You can expect:
• Prayer and music led by congregational leaders from around Metro Richmond
• To learn about the current issues that immigrants and refugees are facing and the trusted local organizations who are working alongside them
• To learn about future opportunities for faithful action including practical support, advocating for policy change, and public witness

Here's a little more about why we help churches work together:

Friends,

We want to speak to you candidly for a moment—because this is a difficult and confusing time for the Church.

Many of us feel the strain of our current political climate. Too often, the Church itself feels as divided as the world around us.

At For Richmond, we exist to unite the body of Christ for the flourishing and transformation of our metro region. We do that by connecting and equipping Christian leaders from across sectors to collaborate around the deep needs of our community. But moments like this force an important question: What does unity actually mean when we don’t all agree?

For us, unity does not mean sameness. And it doesn’t mean neutrality, or avoiding hard conversations out of fear. Christian unity is rooted in something deeper— our shared allegiance to Jesus Christ.

Because of that, we want to be clear about who we are and what we’re for.

We are for the church— across denominations, traditions, and expressions—finding common ground not in politics, culture or class, but in Jesus Christ.

We are for unity that leads to shared prayer and action, especially on behalf of the most vulnerable in our metro region.

We are for the dignity of every human being as made in the image of God including the poor, the immigrant, the marginalized, and the overlooked. These are the neighbors Scripture calls us again and again to see, protect, and love.

We are for a public Christian witness marked by humility, truth, repentance, boldness, and love— not outrage, accusation, or fear.

We are for the Kingdom of God— the reign of Christ that shapes our loyalties, forms our lives, and claims our highest allegiance above every nation and leader.

That means we’re not trying to flatten differences or pretend they don’t matter. It means we’re choosing to hold those differences within a deeper commitment to one another— and to the good of Richmond.

We believe the city flourishes when the church shows up not as a voting bloc, but as a people formed by grace and united to bear witness to the Kingdom of God.

If you’re tired of polarization…
If you long for a faith that’s deeper than slogans…
If you want to seek the good of our city alongside brothers and sisters you won’t agree with on everything— there is a place for you here.

We’re grateful to walk this road with you. And we remain committed to pursuing unity—not as an end in itself—but as a faithful expression of love for God, love for the church, and love for our neighbors.

We are For Richmond.
And we are for the flourishing of our city—together.

- The Staff & Board of For Richmond

02/11/2026

Join us on Thursday morning, March 19, for Spring into Action, CrossOver's annual women's breakfast to connect and empower!

This year's theme highlights the stories of patients who receive care at CrossOver, and are caregivers in their own families and communities. Hear inspiring stories of care, and learn how you can support your own caregiving journey, as well as those of CrossOver patients. We'll hear from clinical psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Sadock and be led through a morning of inspiring stories by Antoinette Essa - WTVR CBS 6.

Spring into Action brings together women from across Richmond who care deeply about their community and move powerfully to support those in need of access to high-quality, compassionate healthcare. Over a beautiful breakfast spread, women have the opportunity to connect, learn, and give—making a difference in their own health and the health of our community.

Register today at crossoverministry.org/sia26 to reserve your spot!

01/28/2026

WEDNESDAY 1/28 Update: CrossOver clinics will open at 8 a.m. on Thursday, January 29. Our parking lots and sidewalks have been cleared and treated, but please use caution as icy spots may be present!

Las clínicas CrossOver abrirán a las 8 a.m. del jueves 29 de enero. Nuestros estacionamientos y aceras han sido despejados y tratados, pero tenga cuidado ya que puede haber zonas con hielo.

01/23/2026

Due to inclement weather, CrossOver Healthcare Ministry will be closed for in-person appointments on Monday, January 26. Stay safe and warm!

01/23/2026

Meet our Director of Programs! | Millie Rocha is a familiar face around CrossOver. She’s served in eight roles at CrossOver since 2012—first as a Dental Assistant, followed by roles in patient intake, medication access, accounting, case management, and TIPS Program Manager, until her appointment as Director of Programs last March. Her journey through these different areas in CrossOver gives her valuable insight into the intricacies of CrossOver’s operations.

As Director of Programs, Millie is responsible for overseeing CrossOver’s Dental and Eye clinics and Community Pharmacy. “There are a lot of rules and regulations that we need to follow, lots of protocols, SOPs, and training materials that need to be created or updated.” said Millie. These need to be communicated to and carried about by staff and volunteers on a continual basis.

It’s a lot to keep up with, but Millie isn’t daunted. “I love checklists, I love processes, and I love whiteboards,” she says, gesturing at the multiple whiteboards covered in multi-colored lists in her office. “I don’t just want to know the rules, I want to understand why they’re there, then I can help my managers and employees do their jobs well.” And that means our patients are cared for and the CrossOver team is cared for.

CrossOver is thankful for Millie’s empathetic leadership, her curiosity and care, and her work to continue to improve our programs!