Richard Bland College and Bon Secours Advance Student Healthcare Education

At the RBC Health Careers Camp, students practice hands-on skills such as CPR chest compressions and applying tourniquets.

The camp is a weeklong summer program offering local middle and high school students hands-on healthcare experience at Bon Secours Southside Medical Center.

To date, dozens of Tri-Cities students have experienced the immersive RBC Health Careers Camp.

With support from the Cameron Foundation, RBC and Bon Secours Southside Medical Center will expand the camp to serve more than 125 students this summer.

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA, UNITED STATES, February 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Inspired by the healthcare courses her daughters took in school, which provided them early exposure to the field, Dr. Brenda Woodcock, former President of Bon Secours Southside Medical Center, sought a local partner to help implement a similar program in the Tri-Cities region. Distinguished by its dominant science curriculum—90 percent of graduates receive science degrees—and a longstanding reputation for excellence in preparing the regional health care workforce, Dr. Woodcock selected Richard Bland College (RBC) as a partner, which eventually birthed the RBC Health Careers Camp.

The RBC Health Careers Camp is a weeklong experience during the summer that immerses local middle and high school students in the healthcare industry through on-site learning at the Bon Secours Southside Medical Center. Learners receive residential housing at RBC and all expenses are paid.

“We’re so grateful to have the young adults on our campus to be able to explore all the different aspects of healthcare,” Dr. Woodcock said.

Students engage in hands-on activities, including performing demonstration clinical procedures such as performing chest compressions on CPR dolls and applying tourniquets. They also attend seminars at both RBC and the Bon Secours Southside Medical Center to learn more about healthcare and its careers.
“We wanted to build something engaging and hands-on—an opportunity for students to see the full spectrum of healthcare careers,” said Dr. Kimberly Boyd, Vice President and Chief Research and Innovation Officer.

To expand the scope of the camp, RBC and the Bon Secours Southside Medical Center have partnered with the Cameron Foundation whose funding will enable more than 125 students to enroll in the program this summer. Additionally, this partnership will support future internship opportunities through the Bon Secours Medical Center, Bon Secours affiliate sites and other healthcare systems across the region. The partnership collectively represents more than $1.2 million in funding and in-kind support for participating doctors and nurses, as well as seminars and equipment.

Jesse Vaughan
Richard Bland College
804-862-6214
jvaughan@rbc.edu
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