My name is Leihla Sanders, and I’m a Public Health Major set to graduate in the year of 2026. Currently, I am an Emergency Medical Technician for Virginia Beach and a Safety Partner for Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

For my Summer 2026 Internship of choice, I am working with the Chesapeake Mobile Health Clinic. The Mobile Health Clinic is a community healthcare organization, partnered with Healthy Chesapeake. It is a fully equipped medical unit designed to deliver healthcare directly to communities in need within the City of Chesapeake. These areas include neighborhoods, homeless shelters, schools, recreational centers, places of worships, and transitional housing areas. Staffed with a team of medical professionals, the purpose of the Mobile Health Clinic is to close the gaps in healthcare access by reducing health disparities, improving chronic disease outcomes, and building trust by community outreach.

Mission Statement: “To close the gap in healthcare access by delivering preventative, primary, and urgent care services to patients where they live, work, and learn. We believe everyone deserves accessible, dignified care — regardless of ZIP code or transportation challenges” (Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, 2026).

Vision Statement: “Chesapeake Regional Healthcare will be the preferred integrated health care delivery system, coordinating the provision of a full range of safe, high-quality, affordable, and personalized health care services”(Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, 2026).

• “Healthy Chesapeake is committed to building a culture of wellness that supports, sustains, and advocates for a healthier Chesapeake”(Healthy Chesapeake, 2026).

Values: Service, Dignity, Safety, Integrity, and Innovation

• THREADS – Teamwork, Health, Respect, Equity, Adaptability, Dignity, Service

My internship preceptor, Phyllis Stoneburner, has served as a staff nurse, charge nurse, nursing director, chief nurse executive, and vice president of operations, nursing, and patient care services. She has also been the executive director at Healthy Chesapeake since January 2021! I thank her for her service and for giving me the opportunity to gain this exposure, not only to support the community but also to further my education.

“The Mobile Clinic’s goals for this year were to learn what we didn’t know! {…} We had great data to pick the sites, but the sites also had to pick us. It took time for the communities to trust us, as they needed assurance {…}. [We are now] evaluating our quality data to see what we are doing well, where we need to improve, and what services/sites we need to add/subtract/change. We are growing!” (P. Stoneburner, personal communication, 2026).