For more than 25 years, the Richmond chapter of the YWCA has been recognizing outstanding women and their achievements with the Outstanding Women Awards. This year, Robin Foster, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine and director of pediatric emergency services at the VCU Medical Center, was among the honorees.
The Outstanding Women Awards honor women in 10 different categories, including arts, business, communications, education, health and science, human relations, government and politics, law, religion and volunteerism.
This year's winners were selected from more than 80 nominees, based on their impact on the community, their leadership skills, a high level of personal and professional achievement and commitment to the YWCA of Richmond’s mission to eliminate racism, empower women and elevate children.
“This is a huge honor, especially because of the caliber of the other nominees. I just feel truly honored to be included,” said Foster.
An active member in the Richmond community, Foster also serves as the board president for the Richmond Midnight Basketball League, an organization that serves at-risk adolescents.
She also is the cofounder and medical director for the Child Protection Team and serves as the current president of Prevent Child Abuse Virginia. Through her work with the Child Protection Team, Foster was able to partner with Stop Child Abuse Now of Greater Richmond to form the Child Advocacy Center.
Foster is a founding member of Bridging the Gap, a violence prevention program, and is an active member of Reach Out and Read, a program that provides books to children in medical environments.
Foster received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary and her medical degree from the VCU School of Medicine. She also participated in a two-year postgraduate fellowship for pediatric emergency medicine at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.