“It Saved My Life”: The power of community health

At 38, Rico Hearns wasn’t thinking much about his health. Born and raised in Charlottesville, Va. he’d always been relatively healthy and hadn’t given much thought to things like blood pressure or cholesterol.

That changed when he met the Community Health team at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital.

“When I first started talking with the team, they suggested I get a quick physical,” Rico recalled. “That’s when I found out my blood pressure was high. It was a wake-up call.”

From that point forward, Rico found consistent support through the hospital’s Community Health team—a group that provides free services like health screenings, one-on-one coaching, nutrition education, and fitness support, thanks to the Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation.

Setour Dillard, registered nurse on the Community Health team, began working with Rico to help him better understand how everyday choices could impact his health. She didn’t lecture—she listened, and she followed up.

“It wasn’t like she was too hard on me—just consistent,” Rico said.

Setour is part of a team that works side by side with individuals to set achievable goals, offer nutritional guidance, and demonstrate simple, culturally relevant ways to cook healthier meals. Her approach—small changes, steady support—made a lasting difference for Rico.

But the journey didn’t stop with food. When the team learned Rico was struggling with poor sleep, they encouraged him to undergo a sleep study, which revealed severe sleep apnea.

“That sleep study—honestly—it saved my life,” he said.

With a treatment plan in place and continued coaching from the Community Health team, Rico began to see real change. He lost weight, lowered his blood pressure, improved his sleep, and gained more energy—enough to coach youth football and stay active.

Tameka Irving, manager of the Community Health team, said Rico’s story reflects what they aim to do every day: remove barriers, offer education, and walk with people through their wellness journey.

“We meet people where they are—churches, barbershops, community centers—because not everyone can or wants to come to a clinic. But we can still help them take that first step,” she said.

During Community Health Improvement Week, Rico hopes his story encourages others to do the same.

“Don’t wait. Leave your pride at the door and get checked. The more you know, the more you can do for yourself.”