Fairfax County is a place where all people can attain their highest level of health and well-being within a healthy sustainable environment.
Each priority area includes the following:
The well-being of residents is inextricably linked to the environment in which people live and the access to affordable healthcare and healthy living opportunities. Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive. The strategies in this section advance equitable access to health services and healthy living resources such as healthy food, parks, green space and trails. The strategies also seek to protect, conserve and sustain environmental resources to promote clean air, water and soil. Improving the resilience of natural resources and community infrastructure is an important strategy to confront the challenges of climate change. Finally, the strategies also stress the importance of sustainable choices and behaviors, and the role of education and access to support this effort.
1. How will we proactively create the community conditions that ensure equitable opportunities for all to attain their highest level of health and well-being?
2. How will we remove barriers and ensure equitable access to and utilization of needed health resources and services (physical, oral, mental, developmental and substance use) across our community?
3. How will we promote behaviors that contribute to positive health outcomes and make healthy options more readily available, especially in communities facing the greatest health inequities?
4. How will we maintain and improve the quality of our air, water and land for the protection of our environment and our residents, and foster a thriving biodiversity as our population grows, changes and densifies?
5. How will we engage with our residents and businesses, while holding ourselves accountable to adopt conservation practices that address climate change and foster environmental sustainability?
1. Access to Health-Promoting Services and Infrastructure
2. Physical and Behavioral Health Conditions
3. Health-Related Behaviors
4. Air, Water and Land Quality
5. Environmental Policies and Practices
Indicator: Access to Health-Promoting Services and Infrastructure
Metrics:
• # of health service providers per 10,000 residents
• % of residents who have seen a primary care provider within the last 12 months
• Rate of preventable hospital stays
• % of residents experiencing food insecurity
• % of households living in neighborhoods with walkability scores and bikeability scores above 50 out of 100
Indicator: Physical and Behavioral Health Conditions
Metrics:
• % of residents who are overweight or obese
• Hospitalization rate due to asthma
• % of residents who report having a chronic physical or behavioral health condition
• % of residents reporting depressive symptoms
• % of residents who have seriously considered or attempted suicide
• # of emergency department visits for opioid-related overdose
• Variance in rates of premature deaths in different populations
Indicator: Health-Related Behaviors
Metrics:
• % of residents engaging in physical activity
• % of residents eating fruits and vegetables
• % of residents who use tobacco products
• % of residents who use alcohol or drugs
Indicator: Air, Water and Land Quality
Metrics:
• # of unhealthy air quality days annually
• # of heat advisory days annually
• % of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction target met
• # of linear feet of streams rehabilitated
• # of negative occurrences (back-ups and overflows) per 100 miles of water/wastewater/sewer service
• # of homes reporting flooding following a storm event
• % of county covered by tree canopy
• % of trees that are less than 6 inches in diameter
Indicator: Environmental Policies and Practices
Metrics:
• # of kilowatt hours of energy consumed in county buildings and facilities
• % of energy used in county facilities that comes from renewable sources
• % of square feet of county building space that is in a facility that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or similar energy efficiency standard
• % of square miles of Fairfax County that are impervious surface (e.g., roofs, paved surfaces)
• # of tons of waste material that is diverted through reuse, repurposing or recycling
• % of employees who work compressed schedules or telework at least 20% of their work week
• % of vehicles registered to Fairfax County households that are electric-powered
Support Healthy Communities
Expand Access to Health Services and Information
Promote and Ensure Environmental Sustainability