Visibility Saves Lives: CAN Community Health Meeting Hampton Roads Where They Are

Imani Nunley begins most mornings the same way. Triple checking test kits, loading up swag, and making sure there are plenty of condoms available.

As an HIV Program Manager with CAN Community Health, preparation is equal parts routine and responsibility. Once everything is accounted for, she and her team head out to of several HBCUs partnered with CAN across Hampton Roads.

“Our campus outreach centers student health and wellness,” Imani said. “We offer mobile unit screenings in private testing rooms where we also educate about PrEP and DoxyPEP.”

For Imani, the work is deeply personal and urgently necessary.

“HIV is still here, and the need for testing is as important as ever,” she explains. “A lot of young people aren’t aware of free accessible testing services that we offer at CAN Community Health.”

That lack of awareness carries real consequences in regions where HIV continues to disproportionately impact marginalized communities. According to AIDSVu, 7,886 people were living with HIV in Hampton Roads in 2023. The prevalence rate remains among the highest in Virginia, underscoring the need for visible, accessible, and stigma free services, especially for young adults navigating healthcare systems for the first time.

Mobile units have become a cornerstone of CAN’s outreach strategy in Hampton Roads. For many residents, especially students and LGBTQ+ community members, stepping into a traditional healthcare setting can feel intimidating or inaccessible. Mobile units remove those barriers, offering free and confidential testing in familiar environments like campuses, community events, and neighborhood gatherings.

That mission is part of a broader, decades long effort by CAN Community Health. Founded in 1991, CAN emerged at a time when stigma was rampant, and options for care were limited. Its founder, Susan Terry, opened the organization’s first clinic in Sarasota with a simple but radical belief: everyone deserves compassion, nonjudgmental healthcare.

CAN has maintained a presence in Hampton Roads since 2019, but that commitment reached a major milestone with the opening of a new Norfolk clinic in July 2025. Located at 6315 North Center Drive, Suite 100, the state-of-the-art facility was designed with patient dignity at the forefront.

Complete with an on-site pharmacy, private screening rooms, and transportation services for eligible patients, the 6,516 square foot clinic offers comprehensive HIV prevention and treatment under one roof. It’s a space staffed with welcoming care experts, because for many patients, feeling safe is the first step toward care.

“There’s a lot of folks who don’t know they have options when it comes to their healthcare,” Tierra Hardin, Practice Administrator, states “We want the Hampton Roads community to know you’re welcome at CAN.”

That message of welcome is echoed daily by staff like Imani and Tierra, whose work extends far beyond clinic walls.

“Our patient growth numbers reflect a deep commitment to this community,” Imani said.

“We won’t give up,” Tierra added. “Not until there’s no new diagnoses.”

Visibility remains one of the most powerful tools of prevention. It looks like visible testing. Visible treatment. Visible care without judgement or shame.

Because when services are easy to access and rooted in community, more people come to the table. More people learn about their status. More people get the care they deserve.

Appointments can be booked online at CANCommunityHealth.org, or by calling (757) 346-5700 to learn more.