The Loudoun County Health Department is now under the administration of the county government, completing a process formally initiated by Loudoun County in 2020 with its fall Legislative Report, to serve Loudoun residents better and improve several operational efficiencies. Under an agreement between Loudoun County and the Virginia Department of Health, the department has transitioned from state to local administration, effective July 1, 2023.
Approximately fifty former state employees of the Loudoun County Health Department have transitioned to county employment, joining other county employees who were already employed in the department, with all reporting up to the County Administrator and the Board of Supervisors.
“The local administration of the Health Department is something the county has been working toward for several years and I am pleased to see this come to fruition,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis J. Randall. “I look forward to the increased efficiencies and the elimination of any disparity between state and county employees.”
The benefits of local control of the Health Department include greater administrative efficiencies and the ability to better align resources with community needs and goals. Local administration provides the county with greater control over budget and programmatic choices, allowing the county to better manage responsive programming for Loudoun’s residents and businesses and to set priorities for the department in alignment with the Board of Supervisors’ vision and strategy.
Local administration also allows the county to better address the disparities in salaries and benefits that occurred between state and county employees performing the same or similar work in the Health Department. In addition, local administration will eliminate the need for duplicate systems in the areas of technology and human resources, for example.
“While administration of the department has moved from the state to the county, our mission remains the same: to provide health services that enhance and ensure the health of everyone who lives in, works in and visits Loudoun County,” said Loudoun County Health Department Director Dr. David Goodfriend. “We will continue to work with our partners in the community to protect the environment, prevent the spread of disease and promote health.”
In 2021, Loudoun County sought and received approval from the Virginia General Assembly for the authority to operate and locally administer the Loudoun Health Department. Loudoun becomes the third locally administered Health Department in Northern Virginia; Arlington County and Fairfax County Health Departments have been locally administered for many years. The 2021 legislation also allows Prince William County, the City of Manassas and the City of Manassas Park to locally administer a health department. The City of Alexandria also now has the enabling legislation for local administration of its health department.
More information about the services provided by the Loudoun County Health Department is online at loudoun.gov/health.
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