A Heart That Serves EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND COLLEGIATE ALUMNUS DISPLAYS EXCELLENCE AND CARE FOR COUGAR COMMUNITY
By Weldon Bradshaw
M
ake no mistake: COVID-19 is
Vaughan’s pursuit of a
the enemy and a brazen one,
medical career began when he
an invisible aggressor that has
was quite young.
become a scourge of the third decade of the 21st century.
“The genesis of my attraction to being a doctor really
Dr. Leroy B. Vaughan Jr. — “Bo” to his
started early,” he says. “I had
friends — understands this quite well.
a couple of surgeries when I
institution where he took a cornucopia
was a kid so I was around a lot of doctors. If
of courses including ancient Greek,
As head epidemiologist at the Richmond’s
you have stars in your life, physicians were
microeconomics, European short fiction and
Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs
mine. Going through Collegiate, I always
modern Communist China.
Medical Center, the 1997 Collegiate School
had an affinity for sciences, especially the
graduate has played a prominent role in
health sciences. That continued through
“When I was inside my major, I focused
managing the pandemic not just at his
college. It was always an undergirding of
on virology and microbiology,” he says.
facility but at his alma mater as well.
my studies that I wanted to be a doctor.”
“The seeds for infectious disease were
Creating policy, offering counsel and
Vaughan found mentors on North
treating patients with professional and
Mooreland Road, among them Ann Griffin
compassionate care have been a labor of
and Stephanie Bensinger-Franz.
planted there. There was a magnetism to
love. His specialty — infectious diseases
these topics.” After W&L, he took a 10-month hiatus and worked as a cook at the Teton Pines Resort
— is a true calling. The challenges,
“Mrs. Griffin’s AP biology class was hard,”
overwhelming at times, never deter him.
he recalls. “She said, ‘Don’t fall in love
The teamwork enriches him. The successes
with anybody in your class because it’ll
“I realized, I’ve got to get real,” he says. “I
bring him immense satisfaction.
completely derail you. I need all your
knew that if I wanted to get into medicine,
attention.’ I gave her all my attention. I
I couldn’t get sidetracked.”
“I’m fighting this unseen microbial world,”
didn’t fall in love with anybody. Got an A
he says. “I’m engaged in this battle that’s
and a 5 (the highest score) on the AP (exam).
very real. I’ve always enjoyed it. Somebody
in Wilson, Wyo.
Back in Richmond, he landed a job in the operating room at St. Mary’s Hospital to
can come into the hospital with a good
“In 8th Grade English, Ms. Bensinger-
gain experience, then began his course of
chance of dying, and we can almost
Franz taught me to write using an
study at the VCU Medical Center in 2004.
completely turn that around within a
economy of style. That really helped me
couple of days. That’s a big-time attraction
write scientifically well in a concise,
“Believe it or not, I thought I might want to
for any doctor. I have to be honest. We have
economic way.”
be a surgeon, maybe an orthopedic surgeon,
good days and bad days, but the efforts we
strictly because I loved sports,” he says. “I
put forth aren’t burdensome because I love
In 2001, Vaughan earned a BS in biology
what I do.”
from Washington & Lee, a liberal arts
66 SPARK | Alumni News
played lacrosse, football, basketball and
