Established in 2023, Macon and Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion Rheumatology is proud to represent one of the newest academic specialties at EVMS Department of Medicine. From its inception, the division has been committed to advancing the science and practice of rheumatology through excellence in clinical care, education, and research.

Our faculty and clinicians are dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art, evidence-based care to patients across the Hampton Roads region and beyond. We serve as the primary referral center for patients with public and private insurance—including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Administration—who require timely, specialized evaluation and management of complex rheumatic diseases.

As the only rheumatology consult service at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the region’s tertiary care center, we care for hospitalized patients with serious autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. We also play a critical role in the transition of care for young adults with childhood-onset rheumatic conditions as they move from pediatric to adult services, in close partnership with Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters.

At the Division of Rheumatology, we combine clinical precision with compassionate care - treating not just the disease, but the person behind it. Our commitment is to help each patient live a healthier, more functional life through early diagnosis, targeted therapy, and continuous collaboration.

Our Mission

Our Division is built on the belief that rheumatology must be both compassionate and cutting-edge. 

We strive to:

1. Deliver evidence-based, cost-effective care that improves the lives of our patients.
2. Provide comprehensive rheumatology education to medical students and internal medicine residents.
3. Inspire and mentor the next generation of physicians toward careers in rheumatology.
4. Equip non-rheumatology providers with the clinical acumen to recognize and manage rheumatic diseases in their practice.
5. Cultivate a spirit of critical thinking and scholarly inquiry that advances the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of autoimmune and musculoskeletal conditions.

We are actively building a vibrant academic division that will serve as a regional and national leader in rheumatology.

Our future goals include:

• Establishing an ACGME-accredited Rheumatology Fellowship Program to train future specialists.
• Expanding our research footprint through investigator-initiated studies, collaborative research, and clinical trials exploring novel therapies.
• Strengthening interdisciplinary partnerships that bridge basic science, clinical care, and population health.

Our division is energized by the challenges of our field and grounded in a mission of service— to our patients, our trainees, and our community. We invite you to learn more about our team, our services, and our ongoing initiatives.