A Flood Watch is now in effect for the D.C. area, including Fairfax County.
The National Weather Service describes the chances of “slow-moving showers and thunderstorms” this afternoon into the early evening as “likely.”
Issued at 11:26 a.m., the alert will be in place until 8 p.m.
“A few inches of rain is possible in a short amount of time as a result, and may cause rapid rises of water on creeks, streams, urban and poor drainage areas, and in other flood-prone locations,” the NWS says.
Rain has become more plentiful in recent days after the D.C. region experienced drought conditions earlier this year. A storm on Wednesday (July 5) brought at least 1-4 inches of rain, according to the NWS, contributing to flooding and power outages, particularly in the central part of Fairfax County.
The full alert is below:
…FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING…
* WHAT…Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.
* WHERE…Portions of DC, Maryland, and northern Virginia, including the following areas: in DC, District of Columbia. In Maryland, Anne Arundel, Carroll, Central and Southeast Howard, Central and
Southeast Montgomery, Charles, Frederick MD, Northern Baltimore, Northwest Harford, Northwest Howard, Northwest Montgomery, Prince Georges, Southeast Harford, and Southern Baltimore. In northern Virginia, Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria, Central and Southeast Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park, Eastern Loudoun, Fairfax, Northwest Prince William, Stafford and Western Loudoun.* WHEN…Until 8 PM EDT this evening.
* IMPACTS…Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…
– A couple rounds of slow-moving showers and thunderstorms are likely this afternoon into this evening. A few inches of rain is possible in a short amount of time as a result, and may cause rapid rises of water on creeks, streams, urban and poor drainage areas, and in other flood-prone locations.
A former Subway in McLean will soon be filled with the tastes, scents and atmosphere of the Levant.
The owners of Dolce Vita Salon & Spa at 6829 Elm Street are expanding their presence in the office building by opening Cafe Levantine just next door, taking over a space vacated by Subway last year, according to the landlord, Marva Properties.
Located in Suite 150, the cafe will serve food from the eastern Mediterranean area, particularly Lebanon, the homeland of owners Fatima Farran and Jean-Paul Achour.
“My husband and I have a true passion for coffee,” Farran said. “It’s always been a dream of ours to open some sort of café or bed and breakfast, and we heard that the Subway next door might be leaving, so we were like, ‘Why not?’”
Though she obtained a college degree in electrical engineering, Farran told FFXnow that she loves cooking, baking and hosting. She will be running the kitchen herself, making sweets and other food from recipes passed down by her grandmother, aunts and their ancestors.
The cafe is her and Achour’s first food-related business venture, but they have accrued plenty of experience with in the retail and hospitality world with Dolce Vita, which has now been open for 20 years. The salon recently finished a renovation that added a second level, where the spa has been relocated.
“A guest is a guest. You want them to experience whatever service they’re having to the utmost capability,” Farran said.
As of the end of June, the couple had signed off on building permits for the cafe and were starting to work on construction bids, according to Farran.
With the design and furniture already prepared, the team hopes to be able to open Cafe Levantine by the end of this summer, though Farran acknowledged that construction “rarely” goes according to schedule.
The cafe will have seats inside for about 32 to 35 people, along with an outdoor patio that can seat another 20 to 25 people. It will share a wall with the salon, where patrons will be able to order food and drinks to eat while they get their hair styled.
A Great Falls resident and mother of four children, Farran hopes to create a place that feels like a true part of the McLean community, where adults and kids alike will feel comfortable spending time, whether they’re grabbing “a healthy bite to eat” while doing homework or gathering for a book club meeting.
“It’s almost an extension of our salon, because that’s what our salon is for a lot of people. That’s their home away from home,” she said. “…I love to see people. It brings me a lot of joy. It truly, truly does.”
Photo via Google Maps
A man who was hospitalized while in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center has died, triggering a police investigation.
Todd Matthew Gleason, 51, died Tuesday morning (July 4) just hours after a magistrate approved his release, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. He was taken to a hospital from the jail on Monday after telling sheriff’s deputies that he had “pain to his stomach and leg,” police said.
Gleason sustained injuries after being hit by a car, an incident that occurred before his arrest, according to the Fairfax County Office of the Public Defender, which was representing him.
Gleason was arrested on June 17 for a petit larceny that allegedly occurred on June 15, according to Fairfax County General District Court records. Mount Vernon District patrol officers also served him a warrant for failure to appear on a felony offense, the FCPD said Wednesday.
“There was no force used during Gleason’s arrest,” the department said. “Following his arrest, Gleason requested to be taken to the hospital for a preexisting injury. Officers facilitated his request, and he was medically cleared by hospital staff the same day.”
However, Gleason was still experiencing medical issues from his injuries while in custody at the Adult Detention Center, the public defender’s office says.
“Mr. Gleason continued to have medical issues from those injuries during his incarceration,” Fairfax Public Defender Dawn Butorac said by email. “He advised his attorneys of such and it is my understanding that he also advised the jail staff as well. It appears that his complaints were not taken seriously until July 3rd.”
That morning, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office requested an ambulance to take Gleason back to the hospital, according to the police.
Police say a magistrate granted Gleason a release on recognizance at 9:22 pm on Monday, July 3, a date confirmed to FFXnow by a General District Court clerk.
“Any medical complaints are taken seriously and fully addressed by our medical team,” Casey Lingan, general counsel for the sheriff’s office, said.
Noting that the county jail “is nationally accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care,” Lingan said the office can’t provide any information about medical care given to individuals in the facility, citing confidentiality laws under HIPAA and the Code of Federal Regulations.
An autopsy to determine the manner and cause of Gleason’s death is being conducted by Northern Virginia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The final results could take 12 or more weeks, depending on the complexity of the case, according to the office.
Fairfax County court records show a string of previous charges against Gleason, dating back to Oct. 24, 2020. It’s unclear whether any of them resulted in convictions.
The charges are mostly misdemeanors, including multiple petit larcenies, trespassing, public intoxication and failures to appear in court. There are two felony drug possession charges, most recently for an April 8 offense, and one felony for wearing a mask.
Gleason had been scheduled for an adjudicatory hearing on Sept. 14.
The Fairfax County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney said it had no comment on the case at this time, but called Gleason’s death “a tragedy.”
No other deaths have been reported at the county jail this year, but three people died while incarcerated last year.
That includes 65-year-old George Redmond and 55-year-old Kyung Pil Chang, who died within two days of each other in late March 2022. Glenn Meyer, who was charged in a Pimmit Hills shooting in 2020, died last July after a medical emergency, police said at the time.
Virginia Removes Resources for LGBTQ Youth — “The administration of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) quietly took down LGBTQ+ youth resources from a state website after a conservative media outlet questioned the links, records show, building on a pattern of removals derided by public health employees who say their work is being politicized.” [The Washington Post]
Fair Lakes Decor Store to Close — “World Market in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center is supposed to close on July 15, but will likely close sooner because the store is running out of inventory…World Market may be replaced by Savers Value Village, a thrift store chain that trades on the New York Stock Exchange.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Oakton Stormwater Pond Repairs to Resume — “Work on the Circle Woods Pond project at East Blake Lane Park in Fairfax will resume on Monday, according to a post on Twitter by Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik. The project was put on hold in April after workers discovered a hawk’s nest containing eggs in a tree slated for removal.” [Patch]
County to Open Waitlists for Subsidized Senior Housing — “On Monday, July 10, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. through Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 11:59 p.m., applicants 62 years and older may register at Rent Café, an online housing portal, for an opportunity to be placed on waiting lists for Project-Based Voucher (PBV) units.” Waitlists will open for properties in McLean, Reston, Rose Hill and Hybla Valley. [FCRHA]
Public Agencies Take “Wait and See” Approach to Twitter — “Limits on how many tweets a Twitter user can read in a day caught many off guard last week, including D.C.-area public agencies that rely on the social media site to communicate with those they serve.” A Fairfax County police spokesperson said the department will “continue to utilize Twitter,” along with Fairfax Alerts and other social media platforms. [WTOP]
Herndon Office Buildings Owner Defaults on Loan — “The owner of the properties at 2551 and 2553 Dulles View Drive, Gemini Rosemont Realty, was unable to refinance or sell the property ahead of the April 1 maturity date for its $51.2M CMBS loan…The 356K SF office property near Dulles International Airport has seen its occupancy fall from 94% when the loan was issued in 2013 to 80% this year” [Bisnow]
Robinson SS Alum Wins Regional Emmy — “Congratulations to Robinson SS alum and FCPS video producer Mark F. Jones, who won his first Emmy for the entry ‘To the Beat of His Own Drum’ in the ‘Video Essayist’ category. The video follows Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School student Michael Gouin’s experience as a drummer who is deaf.” [FCPS/Facebook]
Toy Sale Coming to Herndon — “The Closet Of The Greater Herndon Area is hosting a toy sale Saturday, July 15, at the Herndon Moose Lodge. Shoppers and toy collectors will be able to purchase a variety of vintage toys, including Fisher Price, Little People, Transformers, preschool toys, American Girl dolls, games, porcelain dolls, trains and more.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. At night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Chance of precipitation is 30%. [Weather.gov]
Updated at 7:45 p.m. — All lanes on I-495 have now reopened after a pair of crashes during the afternoon rush hour, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Earlier: Two separate vehicle crashes have brought the Capital Beltway to a near-standstill in the McLean area just north of Tysons.
A Virginia State Police trooper told a dispatcher at 4:06 p.m. that there were “two major incidents,” both involving multiple vehicles, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
One crash involving a tractor-trailer occurred in the express lanes near the Lewinsville Road exit, initially blocking all northbound lanes on the Beltway (I-495), according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
As of 4:50 p.m., one lane of traffic on the far right side of the highway was getting by.
Virginia State Police also responded to a crash in the northbound I-495 lanes near Georgetown Pike at 4:12 p.m., a spokesperson said.
“There are no reported injuries. The crash remains under investigation,” VSP said.
VDOT traffic cameras showed multiple police cars and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue vehicles near Old Dominion Drive.
On the emergency scanner, a dispatcher told responders with the Virginia State Police that a witness saw a man leaving the scene of that crash with a pocket knife.
“On I-495N Express Lanes at mile marker 44.1 in the County of Fairfax, motorists can expect major delays due to other security/police activity,” VDOT’s 511 traffic information system said at 4:31 p.m. “The north left shoulder and left lane are closed. Traffic backups are approximately 2.0 miles.”
Update McLean: 495NB past @Dulles_Toll_Rd: One right lane gets by. Pls continue to use an alternate route. https://t.co/cEne035P9h
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) July 6, 2023
A new waxing salon has arrived in Vienna with promises of a less harrowing experience than the one Steve Carell was subjected to in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”
Bare Skin Waxing will get a ribbon-cutting at 6 p.m. today (Thursday) to mark the opening of its second location since launching in Alexandria a decade ago. With Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert scheduled to attend, the ceremony will be outside the salon at 123 Church Street NW.
“We chose Vienna as our next major milestone due to its alignment with our core values of diversity, inclusivity, and a strong sense of community,” a Bare Skin spokesperson said. “The vibrant history, cultural richness, and the community’s embrace of different backgrounds resonated deeply with us.”
According to the company, Bare Skin originated in Old Town Alexandria with the goal of developing a “unique and gentle waxing technique” that would work for people who have sensitive skin.
The salon’s specialty is Brazilian waxes, but it provides bikini, leg and eyebrow waxing services as well, per its website.
“Our aim was to provide a comfortable hair removal experience without any irritation in a warm and welcoming atmosphere,” the spokesperson said. “Over the years, we have served thousands clients in the local area, helping them achieve smooth, hair-free skin — with comfort as our top priority.”
Bare Skin says it decided to expand to Vienna after noticing an abundance of clients visiting the Alexandria shop from Vienna, McLean and Fairfax.
“As most of our waxing and skin care treatments take less than 30 minutes, we wanted to ensure that the journey to our salon was shorter than the service itself!” Bare Skin said by email. “…We are excited to contribute to Vienna’s thriving beauty and wellness scene while forging meaningful connections with the local community.”
Inova Health System’s former administrative headquarters in Merrifield will soon be transformed into a combination of workforce housing and live/work units — a kind of development that’s still relatively novel for Fairfax County.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 8-0 to approve the project from developer Madison Highland after a public hearing on June 27. Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross and Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw recused themselves because they respectively serve on Inova’s board of trustees and quality and reliability committee.
The developer — a joint venture by Madison Marquette and Highland Square Holdings — now anticipates breaking ground on the office building conversions at 8110 Gatehouse Road and 2990 Telestar Court by the end of the first quarter of 2024, Highland Square Holdings CEO Robert Seldin told FFXnow by email.
“I think this definitely shows quite a bit of opportunity and repurposing as we look…to build additional affordable and workforce units and try to address an area that’s becoming much, much more urban, to have it be accessible and address the multimodal needs in that community,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said.
Vacant since last fall, the six-story Gatehouse building will be converted into up 240 live/work units that tenants can utilize as a residence, office or both. An existing five-story parking garage on the site will be left intact.
The four-story Telestar building will be turned into 82 workforce dwelling units (WDUs) for residents earning up to 60% of the area median income.
In its proposal, Madison Highland highlighted plans to provide sizable open spaces for both future residents and the general public, including:
- Game Table Community Park: a 20,300-square-foot publicly accessible park adjacent to Gatehouse Road with seating, walking paths, game tables, and a mist fountain
- Woof Park: a 13,600-square-foot publicly accessible park west of the Gatehouse building with seating, a gathering space, and a fenced dog park that will include waste stations and a drinking fountain
- Community Play Zone: a 20,800-square-foot park along Telestar Court frontage with open seating, walking paths, and four children’s play areas
- Resident-only common areas, including a courtyard, an “amenity zone” with grilling stations and table games, and a space on the garage’s top deck with pickleball courts, gardens and other amenities
To make room for the new open spaces and additional landscaping, the developer will eliminate “excess” parking spaces, but it will still meet the 768 spaces required by the county’s zoning ordinance, according to a staff report.
“I’m excited about turning some of the parking lot space that is currently impervious into some community use space, while knowing that there are large garages there that will be able to meet the majority, if not more than the majority of the needs for parking,” Palchik said.
No one at the public hearing voiced opposition to the development, but some area residents expressed concern about the potential impact on parking and traffic.
Insufficient parking is “the only issue that has come up over and over again” at board meetings for the High Pointe at Jefferson Park townhomes, according to resident and board member Ann Sweetser.
“Certainly there’s no need to add any parking, but it seems that there’s an emphasis on moving toward a minimization without any connection or consideration of the neighborhood,” Sweetser said, requesting that the developer consult residents before pursuing any parking reductions.
McGuireWoods Managing Partner Greg Riegle, who represented the developer at the hearing, noted that the live/work building will use office parking standards, which are higher than those for residential developments.
Though no commitment has been made, he indicated that Madison Highland is open to discussing the possibility of providing overflow parking for nearby residents.
“There are other instances in this county where uses like ours have been able to share parking with the community on an as-needed basis,” Riegle said. “As the history evolves and we can find those opportunities, there’s no reason not to do that if we have the ability.”
While the developer will deliver some sidewalks and crosswalks, more substantial traffic safety and road improvements will be handled by the county, which has buffered bicycle lanes planned for Gatehouse and initiated a study of Gallows Road earlier this year.
A Fairfax County Department of Transportation staffer confirmed that the study will include the Gallows and Gatehouse intersection, which is already “pretty heavily backed up,” one resident said.
Charles Rimbach, who identified himself as a resident of Gatehouse, said the road is used as a cut-through around Gallows, and westbound cars in particular “have been speeding up and down.”
Riegle suggested that repurposing the office buildings could help improve safety.
“Right now, there’s no activity there. There’s no reason to slow or be careful,” he said. “So, I think it’s a combination of that on-site package and then the collaboration with what you’re doing at a county-wide level, it starts to be a really good solution.”
TGI Friday’s Might Leave Fair Lakes — “Bradenton, Florida-based First Watch on June 26 filed a food establishment application for 12249 Fair Lakes Promenade, where Friday’s has operated for roughly the last 15 years.” A spokesperson for First Watch, which serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, confirmed that the restaurant chain has been looking for a Fair Lakes location, but no lease has been signed yet. [Washington Business Journal]
Thousands in D.C. Area Disenrolled From Medicaid — “Thousands across the D.C.area have lost Medicaid coverage in recent months, as pandemic protections that allowed people to stay enrolled without reapplying came to a close. Known as ‘Medicaid unwinding,’ states are resuming annual Medicaid eligibility reviews, meaning many thousands more may lose their insurance over the next year.” [DCist]
Sexual Assault Cases May Be Linked — “Police are investigating a possible connection between two sexual assault cases in the same neighborhood of Chantilly.” Fairfax County police say an assault of a woman in the 14500 block of Northeast Place on Monday may be linked to a May 18 assault at a house on Iberia Circle. [WTOP]
Fairfax County to Encourage Murals — “Fairfax County planners are developing a murals program to bring excitement to the county’s redevelopment areas, such as Annandale and Bailey’s Crossroads/Seven Corners…They could be on publicly owned or privately owned buildings, Padmore says, but commercial messages won’t be allowed.” [Annandale Today]
Metro Sees Highest Fourth of July Rail Ridership in Eight Years — “Metrorail celebrated the Independence Day holiday with preliminary ridership topping 410,000, a level not seen since 2015. With fare-free service after 5 p.m. and a boost in service to accommodate the influx of customers, rail ridership was up 61 percent over last year.” [WMATA]
FCPD Cracks Down on Drunk Driving — “The Fairfax County Police Department’s Summer Crime Prevention Team in July will focus enforcement on people who are driving while under the influence.” Throughout the month, officers will “saturate areas of high crashes and look for impaired drivers.” [Gazette Leader]
How the Silver Line Has Changed the Dulles Corridor — “The changes have come based on decades of planning by local governments maximizing the potential of the Silver Line to become sought-after commercial centers and multipurpose areas where people can work, live, play and be connected by trains to Arlington, DC and Largo, Maryland.” [Tysons Today]
Local Nonprofit Seeks Drivers for Seniors — “Shepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church is seeking volunteers to join a team of 60 drivers to take seniors to medical and dental appointments or run errands to grocery stores and pharmacies. The center has seen an increase in the total number of rides needed by seniors in recent years.” [Patch]
It’s Thursday — A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Chance of precipitation is 40%. At night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 30%. [Weather.gov]
Rain is pouring down on Fairfax County, raising the risk of flooding.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for the central portion of the county, including Oakton, Annandale, Merrifield and Fairfax City.
In effect until 6:30 p.m., the warning anticipates up to 3 inches of rain in the affected areas. As of 3:25 p.m., between half-an-inch and 1.5 inches had already fallen.
“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads,” the NWS said. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Basement flooding can occur quickly and create a life-threatening situation. If you are in a basement, or a residence below street level, move to a higher floor immediately.”
The full flood warning is below:
* Flash Flood Warning for…
Western Arlington County in northern Virginia…
Central Fairfax County in northern Virginia…
The Northwestern City of Alexandria in northern Virginia…
The City of Fairfax in northern Virginia…
The City of Falls Church in northern Virginia…* Until 630 PM EDT.
* At 325 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
HAZARD…Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE…Radar.
IMPACT…Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for Fairfax, Falls Church and Arlington until 6:30pm.
Do not cross flooded roads
Watch for areas of high water
Lights on with wipers
Report flooded roads or downed trees to https://t.co/12wxgee8pi or 1-800-FOR-ROAD. https://t.co/mq7edyCf95
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) July 5, 2023
Biblical rain in Falls Church at the moment @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/9uHAjOjNAf
— Adam Tuss (@AdamTuss) July 5, 2023
Black residents have experienced worse health outcomes than other populations across Northern Virginia, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report found.
Commissioned by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation (NVHF) and conducted by the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Fairfax County section of the “Dying Too Soon” report found “stark” disparities across the county in the rates at which people die before the age of 75.
The report attributed the dramatic differences in life expectancies — from 76.5 years to 91.1 years — to an individual’s race, ethnicity and address, reflecting the influence of socioeconomic conditions on health outcomes.
According to the report, a lack of access to health care contributed to 66% of premature deaths in the county from 2015-2019 that were avoidable with preventative measures or treatment.
Throughout Northern Virginia, premature deaths are more concentrated within “islands of disadvantage,” where residents experience poor living conditions, higher mortality rates, and food and housing insecurity, the report says.
Residents of these neighborhoods are more likely to be people of color and immigrants, a disparity resulting from “the region’s history of segregation and systemic racism” and policies that “systematically block access” to health opportunities and increase exposure to unsafe health conditions, the report said.
Prior to the pandemic, Black people in Fairfax County had a premature death rate of 221.0 per 100,000 residents, exceeding the rates for white people (165.8 per 100,000), Hispanics (126.2 per 100,000) and Asians and Pacific Islanders (112.4 per 100,000).
Those disparities were consistent throughout the region, which “exhibits smaller racial-ethnic disparities” that other parts of the U.S., according to the report.
Though Fairfax County is often touted as one of the richest counties in the U.S., with a median income of $133,974, many of the wealthiest census tracts are located just a few blocks from islands of disadvantage.
In fact, the study says one census tract in Springfield has a premature death rate twice as high as that of a census tract in Franconia only two miles away. Each census tract also showed drastically different education and poverty rates and racial and ethnic compositions.
“I don’t think there’s a sense among the general public that these kinds of health inequities exist in a wealthy area like Northern Virginia, which in aggregate is doing quite well and has a very high quality of life,” Dr. Steven Woolf, lead study author and director emeritus of VCU’s Center on Society and Health, told FFXnow. “But when you zoom in like this to see what’s actually happening, neighborhood by neighborhood, you expose these these pockets of disadvantage that we want the public to know about.”
Census tracts with the highest premature death rates were in Seven Corners/Bailey’s Crossroads and Route 1 regions, according to the report’s summary. The study also reported that poverty rates in Seven Corners/Bailey’s Crossroads, Mount Vernon and Oakton “exceeded 20%, higher than poverty rates in countries like Estonia, Lithuania, Peru, Tajikistan, and Uganda.”
The Covid pandemic only worsened inequitable health outcomes, according to data collected in 2020-2021. The report says the county’s islands of disadvantage “experienced higher COVID-19 death rates,” and Northern Virginia as a whole saw “much higher” death rates among Hispanic and Black populations compared to Asian and white groups.
“COVID-19 simply pulled the veil back to show the public how bad these inequities are, but they’ve been with us for a very long time,” Woolf said. “There are policies of exclusion that limit the ability for people of color and low-income families to access opportunities and for health and wellbeing, and those barriers persist and will remain long after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed unless we change our policies.”
To combat these longstanding, widespread disparities, the study calls for increased access to health insurance and services, such as high-quality and affordable primary care, preventative care and chronic disease treatment. It further pushes for an increase in funding for “chronically underfunded” local public health departments that are still recovering from the “heightened demands” created by the pandemic.
The report also advocates for remedying “deficiencies” in the local behavioral health system by addressing shortages in mental health professionals and expanding access to mental health and substance abuse services.
Woolf emphasized the need to fund “social determinants of health,” including “education, jobs, fair wages, [and] affordable housing and transportation” to create more equitable outcomes.
“Data like ours that identify the precise census tracts experiencing the greatest threats to health and wellbeing can provide important insights to policymakers, service providers and funders,” NVHF President and CEO Patricia N. Mathews said in a press release. “They can help target investments in neighborhoods that have been neglected and prioritize efforts to improve living conditions by offering more affordable housing, expanding educational opportunities, and improving opportunities for employment.”
The report that NVHF released in 2017 identifying islands of disadvantage in the region has helped inform Fairfax County’s implementation of the One Fairfax policy, which commits local officials to considering equity when developing policies and services, says county Chief Equity Officer Karla Bruce.
“[The] most recent report, Dying Too Soon, illustrates the connection between social and economic conditions and health disparities and validates the value of the county’s investments in things like health care access, affordable housing, education, and workforce readiness,” Bruce said.
“The opportunity for good health should be available to all residents of Fairfax County,” the study concludes.
