Schiffert Health Center helps new cadets stay in the action

By Shannon Atkins, Associate Director of Student Affairs Marketing and Communications

As the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets welcomes its newest members each fall, the intensity of New Cadet Week demands more than just grit and discipline — it requires a robust support system to keep cadets safe, healthy, and ready to train.

A partnership between Schiffert Health Services and the corps makes that system stronger than ever.

Four years ago, medical support during New Cadet Week was limited to scheduled appointments at Schiffert Health Center. The approach worked, but it strained resources from both the corps and Schiffert. Cadets were pulled from training for hours at a time, using appointment slots intended for the use of all students and risking miscommunication of medical instructions.

“We took a hard look at our processes after that first year,” said Ken Mallory, director of the corps' Citizen-Leader Track. “We brought all stakeholders to the table to discuss how we could do this better.”

A circle of care

The answer was to bring the care to the cadets. Schiffert began deploying nurses and eventually a doctor to Upper Quad, the corps’ residential and administrative hub, to treat minor medical issues, prescribe medications, and issue physical restrictions on-site. The change minimized time away from training and streamlined communication between medical staff and cadet trainers.

“This keeps cadets closer to their companies and ensures they get the resources they need without delay,” Mallory said. “It also prevents unnecessary appointments and helps Schiffert prepare for the semester without being overwhelmed.”

Sarina Lipes, a licensed practical nurse, was the first Schiffert staff member to bring care directly to the training environment. “New Cadet Week is unlike anything else,” she said. “The stress their bodies go through is unimaginable.”  

Despite the rigors of training, Lipes said the partnership “works very well to ensure that all new cadets are kept safe and healthy while continuing to train.”

Atop Lipes' foundational work, the partnership now includes members of the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad. The squad supplements Schiffert’s coverage during the day with emergency response through the early and late hours of long training days. A full-time athletic trainer from a nearby clinic also provides physical therapy and coordinates orthopedic care when needed.

Mallory oversees a team of 12 cadet medics, ranging from basic first aid responders to certified emergency medical technicians. These students are the first on the scene for common ailments such as soft tissue injuries, heat exhaustion, and minor cuts. For more serious cases, they activate the campus emergency system and stay with the cadet until professional help arrives.

“They also crew our aid station, coordinate transport, and communicate restrictions to training cadre,” Mallory said. “It’s a full-circle system of care.”

“Having Schiffert and Virginia Tech Rescue Squad in the same building as our aid station is a tremendous help,” said Cadet Michelle Lamborn, cadet officer in charge of the medic staff. “With them, the level of care we can provide is smooth and swift.”

High morale and better training

The system has rewarded the coordinating effort. In Mallory’s first year helping with medical support four years ago, New Cadet Week had 47 ambulance transports. Last year, that number dropped to just 14.

“Cadets stay closer to their training and return to training sooner, so morale stays high and they build camaraderie with their fellow cadets,” Mallory said. “It’s a win across the board.”

Mallory acknowledged the challenge of balancing resources so that everyone returning to campus has the care they need. “But the proof is in the product,” he said, “and what Schiffert and our other partners deliver is tremendous.”

Mallory said the success of the collaboration comes from innovating in the student interest.

“This relationship shows what people and organizations can do when they look at a problem from all angles,” he said. “We couldn’t have done this without everyone coming together to think through a dynamic challenge.”