From its beginning, the physicians and staff of Urology of Virginia have been dedicated to advancing their field through research and helping their communities through education and outreach. In 1978, the partners had a vision for the future and started a nonprofit “to be operated exclusively for charitable and scientific purposes.”
Today that group is SURF – Schellhammer Urological Research Foundation – named to honor its founder, Paul Schellhammer MD, FACS, who remains active with the Foundation today. SURF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization nationally recognized for its commitment to new and innovative treatments in urology. Funding from SURF enables researchers to focus on insights, inclusion and innovation, working on advances that will shape the future of urology.
SURF’s mission is to improve urological care in our community and beyond through excellence in education, compassionate and innovative health care, transformative research, and humanitarian medical missions.
SURF does this by:
• supporting patient education and community outreach,
• providing direct patient support that eliminates barriers to care,
• advancing innovative research by funding graduate medical research, expanding access to clinical trials and facilitating research opportunities, and
• funding humanitarian medical missions that serve the world’s neediest patients.
The Foundation also assists Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) residents and fellows who accompany physicians to areas of need, both domestically and internationally, to provide urological care. Fostering research is arguably the most critical role SURF plays in the urological community. As a nonprofit, SURF relies on donations from the public to fund all the research it conducts.
With an eye to the future, SURF recently made some leadership changes. After serving as President since 2014, Kurt McCammon, MD, FACS, FPMRS, stepped down in July 2022. Dr. McCammon is the Chairman and Residency Director of the Department of Urology at EVMS. In addition, he serves as the Fellowship Director in Reconstructive Urology. He will continue to be involved with SURF, including volunteering to lead numerous international medical missions each year. Michael B. Williams, MD, MS, was elected SURF’s new President. Dr. Williams is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Urology at EVMS and serves as the Chairman of the Schellhammer Cancer Center at Urology of Virginia. His primary clinical interests are advanced prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and local and advanced kidney cancer. His dedication to SURF is motivated in part by his gratitude to Dr. Schellhammer as a mentor and leader.
SURF recently hired Executive Director Carrie Short, a local leader with a history doing nonprofit work. Her early work includes a rebranding effort for SURF and developing new programs. According to Short, “SURF is expanding its role in patient education and support to promote access to care locally, while continuing its focus on international medical missions to increase access abroad.”
For more information or to donate to SURF’s mission, visit surf-1.org.
