The VDH & 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 and other VDH facilities. It will enable locations 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. The projects ensure VDH’s employees, contractors, and volunteers can continue to work towards the agency’s mission of becoming the healthiest state in the nation.

The following is a summary of progress made over the last three months, with more details provided later in this report:

• Continued planning efforts for upgrades at LHD sites and office buildings (James Madison, Office of Vital Records, Office of Environmental Health)

• Worked with the Bureau of Real Estate Services (BRES) to conduct landlord outreach for LHD sites to obtain tenant improvement approvals for upgrades at prioritized sites

• Compiled and presented cold storage options for vaccines to Business Managers with a survey to select equipment at each LDH site

• Began improvements to security features and storage began at the Office of Vital Records (OVR)

• Initiated a pilot for upgrades to audio / visual (AV) equipment at six sites, which will modernize teleconferencing equipment in conference rooms