Dr. R. Allen Blackwood Jr. Named University Physician and Director of Student Health at Washington and Lee University Blackwood comes to W&L after serving as a physician with the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia.
Dr. Allen Blackwood, university physician and director of student healthWashington and Lee University has announced that Dr. R. Allen Blackwood Jr. has been named as the university physician and director of student health. Blackwood replaces Dr. Jane Horton, who is retiring this month following 35 years with the university. Blackwood officially began his appointment on Dec. 1.
“I am delighted to have Dr. Allen Blackwood join the university,” said Sidney Evans, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “His extensive clinical and managerial experience will be a great benefit to our students and university community.”
At W&L, Blackwood will be responsible for working collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive primary care services and health education to the university’s undergraduate and law students. This includes operation of the Student Health Center and the Office of Health Promotion, in addition to serving as the team physician for all NCAA sports teams. Blackwood will also consult with the director of counseling regarding operation of the University Counseling Center, and he will serve as a member of the leadership team within the Student Affairs division.
“I am honored to be at W&L and to serve as the university physician and director of student health,” said Blackwood. “My hope is for students to always be healthy, but if there are ever health concerns, my staff and myself will do our best to help. My goal is to foster a sense of well-being for all members of our campus community. I would like to implement an electronic health record for our clinic so students can communicate with us electronically and even schedule their appointments electronically. I am also excited to help plan our new state-of-the-art clinic building which will open in a couple of years.”
Blackwood specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics and has practiced with the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, since 1998. He has served as the co-medical director of Carilion Children’s Adolescent Medicine and Student Health Services and has served as a faculty member with Carilion Children’s Pediatric Clinic. He has also been assistant director of medical education for Carilion’s Internal Medicine residency. Additionally, he’s also served as an associate and assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
His professional experiences also include serving as assistant professor for the discipline of internal medicine at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he earned the Clinical Educator of the Year Award for 2022 and 2023. He’s also been an assistant professor of clinical internal medicine-cf at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, receiving the Ambulatory Attending of the Year Award in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Blackwood earned a B.S. in biology from Rhodes College and an M.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He interned and conducted his residency at the University of Tennessee, and he holds a medical license from the Virginia Department of Health Professions. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics.
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