Convening and Collaborating

The Northern Virginia Health Foundation is committed to supporting strategic partnerships and building key alliances to improve community health.  The Foundation convenes and participates in formal and informal convenings with other funders and strategic allies.

 

Oral Health Care

Since 2008, the Foundation has been convening the major private and public providers of oral health care to the uninsured and underinsured in Northern Virginia to foster collaboration and provide opportunities for peer learning.  The group adopted a mission statement and by-laws in June 2011 and is now known as the Northern Virginia Oral Health Services Coalition.  To find out more about the Coalition's work, click here.

The Foundation has commissioned a survey to better understand the scope of the oral health needs of low-income Northern Virginia residents.  A copy of the survey results will be posted on this website.  Check back to download it.

The Foundation is also a member of the Virginia Oral Health Services Coalition, whose mission is to work through advocacy, education, and innovative new programs to change perceptions of oral health; remove known barriers between people and oral health services; build an effective oral health infrastructure by ensuring that dental providers and future dental providers are prepared to meet the needs of the underserved in Virginia; and, bring excellent oral health to all Virginians.  To learn more about the Coalition, click here to access their website: http://www.vaoralhealth.org

 

Obesity

The Foundation is partnering with local community coalitions to help address the conditions that contribute to the growing incidence of obesity in the community. 

Foundation staff co-chair Alexandria’s efforts to reduce the obesity rate among young children in the city.  According to a 2007 study by Inova Health Systems, 43.5 percent of Alexandria children ages 2-5 are overweight or obese.  That alarming statistic galvanized the community to take actions.  Since it was organized two years ago, the Alexandria Childhood Obesity Action network has focused on five key areas:  ensuring that every child in the city has access to a safe and age-appropriate place to play; helping early childhood and family daycare providers integrate healthy eating and active play in their curriculum; piloting a SNAP/Double Dollar program at the Four Mile Run Farmers market to increase food stamp recipients ability to purchase fresh and healthy food; increasing Alexandrian’s ability to grow their own food and prepare it in healthy ways by collaborating with community organizations to start gardens and offer cooking and nutrition classes; and promoting breastfeeding by working with service providers to develop common messages to communicate with new mothers and working with businesses to adopt breastfeeding friendly policies.  For information about Alexandria's childhood obesity prevention efforts, click here.

To download a copy of the National Association of County and City Health Officers article "Building an Obesity Movement through Policy and Environmental Change in Alexandria, Virginia;" click on NACCHO Article.

Arlington recently hosted an "obesity summit" for interested community members and organizations.  For a copy of the "Summit's" proceedings, click here.

 

Health Equity

In May 2008, the Foundation co-sponsored, with the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, a screening and discussion of a portion of "Unnatural Causes: Is Inequity Making Us Sick?"  More than 40 funders and municipal health and human services leaders participated in a robust discussion of the quality of life facts that make us all sick.  For more information on the documentary, go to http://www.unnaturalcauses.org/