Our Mission

The incredible woman above is Kevin Travia's grandmother, Kathy Minardi. During the holidays, she takes the train from Connecticut to small town, North Carolina, to visit. One time, she spoke about all the abandoned train cars she saw on the side of the rails and the opportunity to use them for good. It's important to give her full credit for the idea of Railcare Health, as she has been the inspiration behind the whole organization. And just like that Railcare Health was born with the goal of converting an abandoned train into a mobile healthcare clinic. We are starting out small with a more sustainable and mobile clinic that operates out of a shuttle bus, but the dream of increasing rural healthcare access is still at the heart of our mission. By working together with a network of doctors, medical students, and the local community, we hope to make a difference in the lives of many North Carolinians.  

Leading Railcare Health from day 1, Kevin Travia is a full-time student at UNC and has countless hours of volunteering and community development from far away places like Panama to the local community in Chapel Hill. Kevin has worked tirelessly to create Railcare Health from the ground up. "Leadership is unlocking people's potential to do better." -Bill Bradley. This quote is so important to who we are because everyone that has gotten involved in our mission had the potential for greatness before they even knew what Railcare Health was. It takes leadership and hard work to unlock that potential and build the impactful project Railcare is today. We are very excited for the direction and perspective that Kevin will continue to provide us.

Railcare Health is built on the idea that different perspectives are key to making the dream work.  The person responsible for making sure our operations aren't running wild is the same person that ensures this diverse thinking is at the forefront of any decision making. Marissa is a biology major with a heavy interest in public health that shows with her years of dedication to the YMCA Camp Weaver. She is involved with cutting edge research at various international universities and volunteers her time as a tutor for students that may be struggling in certain science classes. As the COO, Marissa will strengthen the core values we've built at Railcare Health and push us towards a prosperous future: shaping the healthcare landscape to one where everyone has access to the care they need. 

Without the leadership and experience that Rob Travia provides to Railcare Health, we would not be anywhere near where we are today. Rob Travia has spent over two decades in the aerospace industry all the while learning what makes a business tick. All of these years of impressive business experience has provided Rob and elite set of skills few possess.  He graciously provides Railcare Health a critical perspective that keeps our doors open for many years to come.  With the ability to look at problems using a careful eye, Rob is vital to the success of our organization.  Rob will be responsible for the ongoing review of the board of directors including any actions taken, thus enhancing the  quality and future viability of Railcare Health. 

Katie Travia is a hard-working student at UNC with an aspiration to pursue a law degree.  In her role at Railcare Health, Katie will utilize her knowledge and passion for law to keep Railcare Health out of legal trouble.  She will be responsible for Ethics, Quality and Compliance at Railcare Health where she will assist the board in overseeing and ensuring the quality of clinical care, patient safety, and customer service provided throughout the organization. She shall be responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to quality and compliance matters, including compliance with applicable legal, regulatory, operational, health and safety requirements as well as high ethical standards.  Katie's attention to detail and legal eye provide Railcare with the tools needed to continue to help others.  We would like to formally welcome Katie to Railcare Health and are excited to see the perspective she brings. 

Ricky Zheng has been a critical cog in our wheel of success because we wouldn't be where we are without him. Ricky has been an active part of Railcare Health since the first day the idea took shape and has provided invaluable information and support to the board.  Ricky is the Communications Chair for Railcare and has the job of contributing expertise to assist staff in establishing organizational marketing, branding, and communication plans.  He is responsible for developing various  marketing and communication channels as well as balancing public relations.  In addition to all of this, Ricky is is a full-time student  at UNC and has volunteered for countless hours at the hospital as well as another no cost medical clinic called SHAC. We are delighted that Ricky is a member of our team and cannot wait to hear more from him on how to get Railcare Health of it’s feet.

Our nonprofit runs on the support of others.  Reach out if you are interested in helping our mission become a reality.