Drs. Travan and Travis Jasper are now co-directors of the emergency department at Chippenham Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, returning to the same city where they once grew up without running water.
The identical twins, who took the helm in April, spent their childhood as some of the poorest children in their Richmond neighborhood, sometimes going without food and collecting water from local parks. Travan Jasper, speaking to CBS News, recalled the stark conditions that shaped their early years.
“We had no running water,” he said. “We used to go and get water from like one of the parks. And we were hungry, hungry literally and hungry for success. Because for us, that was the only way we were going to get out.”
That escape route crystallized when the brothers were 12 years old and their alcoholic uncle was hospitalized at a now-closed Richmond facility. The doctor treating him was dismissive and cruel, telling the frightened boys their uncle was getting what he deserved.
“We talked about it out in the hallway,” Travan Jasper said, recounting the moment the twins made a vow to each other.
“And I think we have,” Travis Jasper added, reflecting on whether they had surpassed the standard of care they witnessed that day.
The brothers backed up their promise with academic dominance. They graduated as co-valedictorians of their high school, then both attended Stanford University for undergraduate studies before earning their medical degrees at the University of Chicago.
HCA Healthcare’s Chippenham Hospital CEO Lance Jones highlighted the unique value the Jaspers bring to the 18-hospital capital division spanning Virginia and New Hampshire. The twins are the only siblings leading a department in that network.
“Their shared commitment to clinical excellence, collaboration and compassionate care reflects our mission to care for and improve human life,” Jones said. “By treating every patient with the same attention, respect and support they would want for their own family members, they help ensure our emergency department delivers exceptional care when it matters most.”
Beyond their hospital duties, Travis and Travan are fathers to eight children between them and remain active with a youth basketball organization in their community.
“To be here, it’s amazing,” Travis Jasper said. “And I don’t think I could have dreamt it 40-some years ago.”
“I think all of the stuff that we went through, all of the negative days, made us who we are now,” he said.
The Jaspers’ return to Richmond closes a loop that began with trauma and deprivation, replacing the memory of a harsh doctor with their own model of emergency care.