For the past 20 years, Physician Assistant Katie Cartwright has quietly made a lasting impact inside the Virginia Beach Correctional Center, providing compassionate healthcare, guidance and consistency to thousands of inmates while helping shape the evolution of correctional medicine at the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office.
Now, VBSO is recognizing Cartwright’s two decades of dedicated service and sharing her unique story of compassion, resilience, and commitment to the often-unseen side of public safety.
Cartwright first entered the correctional center as a clinical rotation student while attending Eastern Virginia Medical School and immediately knew she had found the right fit. Over the next two decades, she became a trusted medical provider and key member of the correctional healthcare team, working alongside Dr. Abdul Jamaludeen (“Dr. J”) for 18 years, until his retirement in July 2024.
“Behind the walls of our correctional center, Katie has spent 20 years treating people with dignity and respect while helping improve lives every single day,” said Sheriff Rocky Holcomb. “She represents the very best of this agency through her compassion, professionalism and commitment to serving others.”
During her career, Cartwright has witnessed major advancements in correctional healthcare, including expanded mental health treatment, substance-use programs, specialized housing units and improved clinical services for inmates.
Her story also highlights the human side of correctional healthcare — balancing medical care, empathy and safety in a secure environment while working with an underserved population that often lacks access to consistent healthcare outside incarceration.
“Many inmates simply want to be heard,” Cartwright said. “By listening and showing empathy, we can reduce stress and help people better understand their health and how to care for themselves moving forward.”
Cartwright continues to mentor future healthcare professionals, regularly speaking with Physician Assistant students about careers in correctional medicine and encouraging compassionate providers to consider the field.
Cartwright has worked closely with the jail’s medical provider, VitalCore Health Strategies, the jail’s medical provider since September 2023. Under its contract, VitalCore is responsible for providing medication, sick calls, chronic care, emergency care, off-site care coordination, dental, pharmacy, laboratory, dialysis and other ancillary services for the jail’s 1,000+ inmates.
Media Contact: Public Information Officer Toni Guagenti at tguagenti@vbso.net , 757-385-8446 or 757-373-5012 .