Virginia Beach considers hiring its own health director, instead of sharing one with Norfolk

Virginia Beach — The Virginia Beach City Council is interested in hiring its own health director — instead of sharing with Norfolk.

Health Director Dr. Demetria Lindsay has split her time between the two cities since 2018 when Virginia Beach’s former director resigned.

Several council members have expressed that the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically increased Lindsay’s workload far beyond what one person is capable. So the council has asked the city manager to explore options to get the city its own health director.

Doing so would require an official request to the state health commissioner or a request to the General Assembly.

“I think it is something we have to have a robust discussion on,” Mayor Bobby Dyer said. “I think we deserve our own health director.”

Council members Jim Wood, Sabrina Wooten, Barbara Henley, Aaron Rouse and Rosemary Wilson agreed during a recent meeting. Wood and Wilson said they were not pleased that Lindsay had been too busy to respond to the council’s questions about the pandemic and left a briefing to attend a meeting with Norfolk’s council.

“The pandemic has shown us that it is necessary to have a separate health director,” Wooten said.

Lindsay did not reply to a request for comment.

Deputy City Manager Ken Chandler said the state historically has struggled to find enough qualified health directors who are licensed medical doctors and have executive management experience.

During the 2018 search, the state health department was not able to recruit qualified candidates, so it combined Norfolk and Virginia Beach’s health districts as it had done with Richmond and Henrico County, said Robert Hicks, the health department’s deputy commissioner for community health services. The state added other roles, such as a chief operating officer, to assist with the workload, Hicks said.

“We really could not identify someone who had the experience and the qualifications to step in,” Hicks said. “If they wish to change the model, we certainly can work with them as best we can to to try to accommodate that.”

Today's Top Stories

Daily

Start your morning in-the-know with the day's top stories.

Hicks said all health departments across the state, including those that have a health director overseeing just one city, have been stretched thin and said more resources are needed to respond to the pandemic and immunize residents against the coronavirus.

“By in large, the health department is very good at immunizations but we have done it on a very small scale, so we are challenged by the sheer volume of immunizations that have to be accomplished,” Hicks said.

As of right now, the state and the city contribute to the $6.2 million budget of the Virginia Beach’s Health Department. The state covers 55% of the operational costs, while Virginia Beach contributes 45%. Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney would like city to keep this funding model.

The state also handles the recruitment and selection of the city’s local health district directors, who are considered state employees. Health directors can earn salaries between $102,000 to $278,000, Chandler said.

Only two districts — Arlington and Fairfax Counties — have locally administered health departments, which requires authorization from the General Assembly. Loudoun County is waiting for the governor to give final approval of a bill so it also can take more control of its health department.

Duhaney recommended steering clear of this model because the city could incur more costs, but said it could be an option if the state’s health department objects to allowing the city to have its own health director again.

Alissa Skelton, 757-995-9043, alissa.skelton@pilotonline.com.