Doctors, musicians visit Chesterfield seniors to fight isolation
TL;DR: A physician-led nonprofit brought volunteer doctors and musicians to Chesterfield County seniors on Saturday to combat loneliness through shared meals, conversation, and performances.
Quick facts
- Who: Medicine & Music, Healing, Hope and Harmony, Inc., volunteer physicians and musicians
- What: Circle of Care Day visiting program delivering non-clinical health engagement and social connection to seniors
- When: Saturday, July 12, 2026
- Where: Chesterfield Square Apartments, Chesterfield County, Virginia
The story
Medicine & Music, Healing, Hope and Harmony, Inc., a Richmond-area nonprofit, held its first Circle of Care Day at Chesterfield Square Apartments on Saturday, bringing volunteer physicians and musicians to visit seniors as neighbors rather than clinicians. The program marks the organization's first expansion into the Richmond area; it was previously based in Hampton Roads.
Founders Dee-Dee and Abraham Teklu created the organization in response to the May 2023 U.S. Surgeon General's advisory declaring loneliness a public health epidemic. Abraham Teklu noted that the health effects of loneliness and isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, citing research linking social disconnection to cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and premature mortality.
Volunteers shared meals, conversation, and music performances without conducting medical exams or clinical assessments. Rather than operating in their professional roles, physicians sat down as listeners and neighbors, offering encouragement and general wellness guidance. The organization also runs Dee-Dee's Hope Chest, a program focused on women's mental and emotional wellness through compassionate, non-clinical gatherings.
The article highlighted individual residents finding connection through the program: one woman resumed playing piano with both hands after months of injury, and a widower who had been married for 63 years and has no children found comfort in conversation with volunteers.
Key players
- Dee-Dee Teklu: Founder and co-director of Medicine & Music, Healing, Hope and Harmony
- Abraham Teklu: Founder, co-director, and saxophonist
Why it matters: Seniors experiencing isolation face serious health consequences comparable to major risk factors like smoking; community programs bringing healthcare providers and cultural engagement directly to seniors address both loneliness and preventive care awareness.
Places
Development timeline
- 2023-05-01U.S. Surgeon General declares loneliness and isolation a public health epidemic: Dr. Vivek Murthy releases advisory showing health consequences of isolation equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes daily [[source]](https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/connection/index.html)
- 2026-07-12Circle of Care Day at Chesterfield Square Apartments: Medicine & Music, Healing, Hope and Harmony holds first Richmond-area event, bringing volunteer physicians and musicians to visit seniors [[source]](https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/medicine-and-music-healing-hope-and-harmony-chesterfield-square-apartments-july-11-2026)
Related links
- Medicine & Music, Healing, Hope and Harmony website
- U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Loneliness and Isolation (2023)
Read the original at WTVR CBS 6 Local →
Sources
- WTVR: Group brings music, doctors and human connection to RVA seniors
- Medicine & Music, Healing, Hope and Harmony, Inc. (official website)
- U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
- Charity Navigator: Medicine & Music, Healing, Hope and Harmony, Inc.