HOPES Free Clinic

Join the appointment waitlist

Call  757-709-9797

Para Español 757-709-9969

Scheduling is based on availability and is subject to change due to inclement weather and staff availability.

What to bring

Please bring the following to your first appointment:

• Any valid ID (must have your picture on it)
• Proof of residence (a piece of mail with your name on it)
• Paystub
• All current medications

Where to go 

Norfolk Department of Public Health Building
830 Southampton Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23510

Am I eligible?

HOPES patients:

• Must be a resident of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, or Newport News
• Must be over 18 and under 65
• Must make less than twice the federal poverty level, according to U.S. poverty guidelines
• Cannot be pregnant (would be insured through CHIP)
• Must be uninsured or underinsured, which means:
• Limited ability to afford copays and deductibles incurred from physician visits
• Medical conditions that accumulate cost from multiple physician visits, pharmacies and medications
• Limited or delayed access to services due to insurance provider

I have limited English proficiency

HOPES provides care in English and Spanish through the use of in-person and over-the-phone interpreters.

What to expect during your visit

You will be greeted by a front desk volunteer who will check you in for your appointment. A student clinician, or team of two student clinicians, will speak with you about your medical history and perform an initial physical exam. The student clinician will then present your information to the overseeing provider. The student clinician team and the overseeing provider will return to you with a treatment plan. Lastly, you will check out with a continuity coordinator who will schedule any follow-up appointments needed and answer any remaining questions you may have about your visit.

What we offer:

• Primary care
• Spanish-speaking healthcare providers for primary care and pediatric appointments
• Specialty services, to include:
  • Dermatology
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Gynecology
  • Mental Health
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopedics
  • Sports Medicine

New patients are accepted in both primary and specialty clinics. Wait times can vary depending on the clinic and the availability of the providers.

Why HOPES?

Getting Started at HOPES

Students can register for Front Desk, IT, and Vitals Assistant roles without any prior training.  Junior Clinician/Scribe positions are open to all Medical and Physician Assistant Students in the preclinical phase.  Senior Clinician positions are open to all Medical and Physician Assistant Students who have started rotations or received a passing score on Step 1.

All students can participate in HOPES events, teams, and leadership roles whether they are assigned to HOPES or not.

Logging Your Hours

Students can register for shifts at HOPES and log their hours on the EVMS Engage platform.

Note About Language Services

We are excited by the breadth of languages that our students and community volunteers either speak or have interest in. However, students and volunteers may not act as ad hoc interpreters while participating in CEL activities, as there are certain qualifications required to be an interpreter in a healthcare setting. Students who have a Community Interpreter Certificate or are Nationally Certified Interpreters should always discuss with CEL whether they may act as an interpreter at a site BEFORE participating in a pre-approved CEL activity. Students who wish to offer their services as interpreters in the community do so at their own risk and may not hold themselves out as doing so on behalf of our medical school. 

Whether or not a bilingual student may be a “Spanish Medical Interpreter” at an Community-Engaged Learning site is based on a multitude of factors including the activity and the student’s level of Spanish medical interpretation experience. Currently, Spanish language services are only available as part of the initiatives outlined below and in accordance with the guidance provided:  

• HOPES/ Clínica Esperanza
• Medical Spanish

Finally, be aware that while individuals use the words “interpreter” and “translator” interchangeably, they are very different activities. Interpreters speak orally while translators work with written materials.

If you have additional questions, please contact Community-Engaged Learning at CommunityEngagedLearning@EVMS.edu.

"Working with the HOPES student-run free clinic restores the joy in medicine. The students do all the documentation; I just get the fun of treating patients and watching students pick up on clinic findings and develop diagnoses. It's just a lot of fun!"

– Dr. Bruce Britton, Family Medicine

How do I become a HOPES Volunteer Provider

Attending and resident physicians mentor and assist Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University students in providing healthcare at HOPES during evening clinic shifts from 6-9:30 p.m.

Providers across numerous specialties currently volunteer at HOPES and have the flexibility to choose a schedule that suits their availability.

To become a HOPES provider, please fill out the application form.

If you have additional questions, please contact Community-Engaged Learning at CommunityEngagedLearning@EVMS.edu