Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Blacksburg’s Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) is expanding. recently announcing a new 32,000 sq. ft. building at 1701 Kraft Dr., Blacksburg.
The matter was discussed by the Blacksburg Planning Commission late last week.
VCOM officials say they hope to have the renovations ready in July, when classes start, but the project is still working its way through the town planning process and that could impact the timeline.
The new building is at the corner of Kraft Drive and Research Center Drive.
VCOM Assistant Vice President for Communications Amy Ostroth said the addition will add
instructional space to support existing and announced academic programs associated with the school’s educational partnership with Bluefield University.
“That includes the Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences program, as well as preparing for the launch of a Master of Health Science in Anesthesia program in 2027. Similar anesthesia programs are already established at our Auburn and Carolinas campuses,” she said.
The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine is a private, non-profit college in Blacksburg with three branch campuses, providing education and research to prepare community-focused physicians who improve the health of those most in need.
The school opened its first campus in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in the fall of 2003 and graduated its first class of physicians in 2007.
In 2010, VCOM added a second campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A year later, another site was opened in Auburn, Alabama. The Louisiana branch followed in 2017.
All of VCOM’s locations are based around Osteopathic Medicine, which emphasizes a “whole person” approach, preventive care and connection between body, mind and spirit.
VCOM currently operates a 60,000 sq. ft. main campus in the Corporate Research Center on a 13-acre campus.
“These (future) plans are focused on ensuring an effective learning environment for students in those (new) programs,” Ostroth said.
The Master of Health Science in Anesthesia (MHSA) Program is a joint collaboration between the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and Bluefield University.
This is first such program in the state of Virginia. This milestone follows then- Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s signing of legislation in March 2025 that allows certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs) to practice in Virginia, the 23rd state in the nation to do so.
Mike Nichols, Dean of VCOM’s Anesthesiology Assistant Program, said there has been a national shortage in the anesthesia workforce for decades, which is only projected to get worse in future years.
“Training anesthesiologist assistants is a vital step forward. Unlike nurse anesthetist programs, which pull experienced nurses from other strained workforces, MHSA programs bring new professionals into the healthcare system—expanding capacity instead of reallocating it,” he said.
The Master of Health Science in Anesthesia (MHSA) Program is a comprehensive 28-month graduate program designed to prepare students for a rewarding career as an Anesthesiologist Assistant (AA).
The need for these programs is clear. Not only is there a severe workforce shortage, but there are currently only 23 educational programs in the country, offering just 585 seats annually to a pool of nearly 6,000 applicants.
The President of VCOM, Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, said adding this program is continuing collaborative partnership between the institutions within the Harvey Peters Research Foundation including VCOM and Bluefield University, and with the hospitals in the region to educate and train highly skilled CAAs, directly benefits the Commonwealth.
“Moreover, it would provide potential A.A. students in Virginia with access to an exceptional educational opportunity in their home state and enable them to contribute meaningfully to their communities. VCOM is proud to be part of bringing high quality healthcare to Virginia communities where the need is great,” he said.
VCOM specializes in training primary care physicians on its five campuses to work in rural areas, and areas with a shortage of family medicine, pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics practitioners.
Enrollment at VCOM-Virginia is approximately 722 students with total enrollment across all four campuses of about 2,600 students.
