VCU School of Medicine
The Robert G. Fenley Writing Awards: General Staff Writing
Silver
The best doctors don’t just take care of their patients — they also care about them. This is the story of VCU’s chief of adolescent medicine, a working-class Richmond native described as “a servant leader” who has answered that call and become a pillar of the community that shaped her.
Public relations and communications in academic medicine are, with good reason, often focused on scientific discoveries, clinical breakthroughs and educational innovation. Impactful community work often happens in the background, and a goal of the VCU School of Medicine’s communications team in 2025 was to shine a light on the unsung heroes, like Dr. Crewe, who live their values by quietly doing that work. This was the first of many news articles published in 2025 that highlight the school's commitment to serving and engaging with the community at large.
What was the most impactful part of your entry?
Speaking with Dr. Crewe’s colleagues and family members gave me insight into her character that she was unlikely to have shared herself. The final anecdote, about a teenager who was so enraptured by Dr. Crewe that it turned around her behavior at a leadership event for local girls, really drove home how suited Dr. Crewe is for the field of adolescent pediatrics and how much of an impact she has on her patients and community.
What is one thing you learned from your entry/experience?
After multiple interviews with Dr. Crewe, I had hours’ worth of anecdotes and insights and wasn’t sure where to start. As I sifted through my notes and tried different structure iterations for the story, some of my favorite details ended up on the cutting room floor for the sake of the overall flow. But in streamlining the narrative, I found the final product to be even more impactful because it painted a nuanced yet clear picture of this person that I felt like I had gotten to know.
Contact: Laura Ingles
laura.ingles@vcuhealth.org