The VDH and Local Health District (LHD) Maintenance initiative focuses on implementing solutions to address facility maintenance needs that have impacted VDH’s ability to provide services that address COVID-19’s impact on the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Commonwealth’s residents who are served by the community-based clinics that are part of the public health system rely on the LHD facilities. Lack of appropriate facility upgrades, such as touchless technology for doors and restrooms and cold storage for vaccines, exacerbated the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on populations that rely on public health systems. This initiative focuses on employee safety and addressing qualifying maintenance needs in the local health districts. It will enable each location to comply with distancing and ventilation guidance to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

These projects will enable VDH to protect the health and promote the well-being of all people in Virginia, while simultaneously ensuring that VDH employees are able to work in a safe environment that enables social distancing and COVID-19 prevention measures. They ensure VDH’s employees, contractors, and volunteers can continue to work towards the agency’s mission of becoming the healthiest state in the nation.

Over the last three months, VDH has identified LHD sites in need of upgrades. These sites were scored by equity and income rankings which were then weighted to produce a sorted list. This list was broken down by health district and used to create an installation sequence, prioritizing sites that have the greatest need. Planning for improvements at office buildings (James Madison, OVR, OEHS) is ongoing with vendor procurement for preliminary upgrades taking place.