The Alexandria Health Department presented findings from its comprehensive community health assessment to the Alexandria City Council Tuesday night (July 1), revealing stark health disparities between neighborhoods and outlining plans for a more targeted approach to community health improvement.
Dr. David Rose, Director of the Alexandria Health District and Alexandria Health Department, told the council that the extensive assessment revealed “large differences in health between our neighborhoods” and calls for collaboration “with the people most impacted to move the needle on health outcomes.”
The assessment, conducted over the past year through a community-centered, data-driven process, collected responses from more than 2,000 residents across 40 unique locations throughout the city. The health department gathered over 200 indicators covering health behaviors, outcomes, and community conditions, reaching approximately 3,000 individual data points.
Sean Curry, MPH, from the health department, explained that the assessment examined not just health behaviors and outcomes, but also community conditions. The department also conducted “Walk and Talks” and a “Community Photo Album” project to gather non-traditional feedback from more than 100 residents.
Mental Health Emerges as Top Citywide Concern
Mental health emerged as the top concern across nearly all zip codes in Alexandria. The assessment revealed that mental health, alcohol and drug use, and dental problems were the most frequently cited health issues across different neighborhoods.
“The data and resident feedback were clear… Not all Alexandrians have the opportunity to thrive and achieve their best health,” the presentation stated.
The assessment highlighted significant disparities even within the city’s neighborhoods:
- In Arlandria, one in four residents does not have health insurance
- African Americans are hospitalized for diabetes at more than twice the overall rate (1,964.6 per 100,000 population compared to 976.8 citywide)
- Among LGBTQIA+ 10th and 12th grade students, half felt sad or hopeless (twice the rate of straight/heterosexual students), and one in ten have attempted suicide (three times the rate of straight/heterosexual students)
New Place-Based Approach
Allen Lomax, MPA, from the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria, outlined plans for the next five-year Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), which will differ significantly from the current approach. Instead of three citywide priorities, the new 2026-2030 plan will focus on one citywide priority—mental health—and two place-based initiatives targeting specific neighborhoods.
The two neighborhoods identified for place-based initiatives are Arlandria and the Landmark/Van Dorn Corridor. These areas will have neighborhood coalitions that will build and implement their own portions of the health improvement plan.
“Instead of topic workgroups that developed tactics and then handed them off to implementers, we’ll have neighborhood coalitions that build and implement the plan,” the presentation outlined.
Strong Council Support
Council members expressed strong support for the targeted approach. Councilman Canek Aguirre praised the direct focus on specific areas, saying, “Why kind of hide the ball and let’s just kind of go after it directly. So I think this is a good idea to just come out and say, hey, we got to put some additional resources here because we have the facts that back it.”
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley highlighted the effectiveness of data visualization in the presentation, particularly maps showing how health disparities, poverty, and environmental issues overlap in the same geographic areas. “That one slide with those three maps did that. And so I just like kudos to whoever in the team that put that together,” Bagley said.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins noted this represents the first time the city has taken such a targeted approach to addressing community disparities. “It doesn’t mean that a program we’re doing is wrong. It doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t continue. But it might mean that’s not the right program for that area and we need to work with the community to make that change,” Gaskins said.
Community Strengths Identified
Despite the challenges, the assessment also identified significant community strengths across neighborhoods. Residents consistently cited diversity of the community, educational opportunities, and opportunities for community involvement as top strengths. Safe, healthy, affordable housing was identified as the top priority that would most improve community health across all zip codes.
Current Plan Shows Success
The current five-year Community Health Improvement Plan, which ends in December 2025, has shown significant progress. The Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria has been co-facilitating the plan with the health department and has allocated $134,000 to 17 nonprofits over four years to implement specific tactics.
Next Steps
The health department plans to solidify neighborhood boundaries this summer and begin working with existing coalitions in the targeted areas. The new approach aims to integrate more closely with city agencies and existing neighborhood work rather than operating in silos.
Council members requested more regular updates on progress, with several expressing interest in annual or bi-annual presentations to track improvements and adjust strategies as needed.
The assessment represents a shift toward what officials called a “novel shared-decision making model in partnership with residents” that focuses on supporting residents where they are rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions across the city.
The report will be presented on July 8 (Tuesday) at 6:30 p.m. at the Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center (1108 Jefferson Street). Mayor Alyia Gaskins will make remarks, followed by a panel discussion on the data and next steps for the Health Department.
