Welcome to The Pulse, a weekly roundup of health-focused news. Each Thursday, we bring you updates on health policy, community surveys, new clinical studies, programs and services in Southwest and Southside Virginia.
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Community is invited to International Overdose Awareness event in Roanoke
The Roanoke Valley Collective Response will gather Wednesday at the Taubman Museum of Art to celebrate the 25th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day, a global initiative that honors people who have died from overdose, raises awareness and advocates for change.
Early 2025 data from the Virginia Department of Health shows that 1,197 Virginians died from drug overdoses, a 23% decrease from 2024, according to a news release from the Roanoke Valley Collective Response. While the decline represents meaningful progress, drug overdose remains the leading cause of preventable death in Virginia.
The event is open to everyone. It will run from 5 to 7 p.m. and will feature a tribute slideshow honoring people who died by overdose. Community members can submit a loved one’s name for inclusion in the slideshow by emailing cjones@rvarc.org. Attendees are encouraged to bring a photo of a loved one who died from a drug overdose to add to the memorial wall.
The event will also connect attendees with local recovery and prevention resources and provide a space for healing, remembrance and hope, according to the release.
“Every overdose death represents a person who was deeply loved and whose life mattered. Overdose Awareness Day allows our community to honor their memory while also taking meaningful action to reduce stigma, expand access to lifesaving resources, and support all those impacted by substance use,” Bailey Medeiros, director of the Collective Response, said in the release.
“This event is about more than remembrance. It’s about coming together around for a shared purpose. We gather to honor those we’ve lost, stand alongside the grieving, and recommit ourselves to building a community where fewer families experience this kind of loss. Lasting change happens when a community chooses compassion and collaboration.”
International Overdose Awareness Day began with a barbecue and remembrance event at the Salvation Army needle exchange in Melbourne, Australia, in 2001.
The Collective Response is also asking community members to participate in the Light It Up Purple campaign on Aug. 31. Homes, businesses and landmarks across the Roanoke Valley can show their support by lighting up purple that evening. Organizers say the campaign aims to send a message that overdose is preventable and that the community stands together.
The Wells Fargo Tower also will be illuminated in purple on Aug. 26 and Aug. 31 in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day and National Recovery Month, according to the release.
VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment to host grand opening, guided tours
VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment will offer public tours of its new pediatric clinic in Roanoke during a grand opening event on Aug. 27.
The clinic provides applied behavior analysis therapy for children ages 18 months to 6 years, according to a news release from VIA. The evidence-based therapy is designed for children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental delays. It uses positive reinforcement and play-based learning to help children develop communication and social skills.
Since announcing the expansion of VIA in April, the nonprofit organization has seen strong early demand in Roanoke, with families already enrolled, according to the press release.
“This program exists because of the families who need it and the community that welcomed it,” Dr. Ethan Long, president and CEO of VIA, said in the release. “When a young child gets an early start with the right support, the difference ripples outward, through a family, a classroom, a neighborhood. That’s what we’re celebrating on August 27: not just a new clinic, but what it means for Roanoke.”
The grand opening and guided tour is open to referral partners in the community, school and civic leaders, neighbors and anyone interested in seeing the new space and learning about VIA’s work, according to the press release.
VIA, formerly known as the Virginia Institute of Autism, is headquartered in Charlottesville. It has campuses in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Lexington. Services at the Roanoke clinic, adjacent to the Roanoke VIA Day School, are covered by many insurance plans.
Families can reach VIA’s Roanoke team at roanokeclientservices@viacenters.org or 434-284-5720.
Buchanan General Hospital expects new Southern Gap clinic to open in the fall
Buchanan General Hospital in Grundy announced continued progress of the Clinic at Southern Gap, with the facility tentatively scheduled to open this fall, according to a recent Facebook post from the hospital.
The clinic will provide acute care services for Southern Gap residents and students at the newly consolidated Southern Gap High School, giving the growing community a new health care option.
The clinic is part of a larger medical campus planned for Southern Gap, according to a 2024 news release from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority. The 57-acre development, a partnership between Buchanan General Hospital and the Coalfields Health Foundation, is expected to include a medical clinic, medical retail space and a 61-bed assisted living facility.
