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Page County, Valley Health outline community health assessment; mental health, housing and workforce rise as priorities
Summary
Local health officials presented a Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan emphasizing access to care, mental health and housing; presenters said survey results and partner interviews informed priorities and that a federal grant will fund tele-mental-health integration in primary care.
Tara Blackley, local health director for the Lord Fairfax Health District, and Jason Craig, senior director for community health at Valley Health System, presented the county’s Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan to the Page County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night.
Blackley said the CHA/CHIP follows the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships model and that a primary survey conducted in October 2024 collected 2,572 responses, including 252 from Page County. “The predominant age range of survey respondents in Page County was the 65 to 74 year olds,” she said, and cautioned the results do not represent all residents.
The presenters said the assessment combined that primary data with 90 secondary data sources and community partner interviews. They reported that physical health concerns — notably cancer and heart disease — were the top disease priorities across the district while mental health was a leading concern for respondents aged 15–54. For health behaviors, the most frequently selected issue in Page County was illegal drug use, the presenters said.
Jason Craig described how the CHA informs an implementation plan to align community benefit dollars and local grants with identified needs. “It’s what we’re gonna do about it,” he said, stressing a current emphasis on workforce development for health services alongside goals for increased access to nutritious food, active living, and expanded mental-health supports.
During questions, supervisors asked how the survey was distributed; Blackley said Valley Health’s MyChart, community health workers, clinic locations and local organizations were used for outreach. She said direct surveys of minors were not conducted because of consent issues and that the youth behavioral risk survey (administered in some nearby counties) could be checked for Page County representation.
Craig told the board the health system won a federal grant to support tele-mental-health services integrated with primary care and that Page family practice is planned as one of the initial sites. He also said mobile services such as mobile mammography are expected to roll out this summer.
The presenters said steering committees and larger community partners will continue to refine measurable objectives and report back to the board as the CHIP moves into implementation.
