Fairfax County officials will open new, expanded public health facilities next week in an underserved area.
“There is just so much for us to be thankful for. It’s a beautiful space for our clients and staff,” county health director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu said during a Sept. 26 sneak preview of the Franconia-Springfield Public Health Center.
Occupying a full floor of an office building at 6564 Loisdale Court, the facility is set to open next Tuesday, Oct. 7. It will serve for the coming year as a temporary replacement for the Joseph Willard Health Center as it closes for renovation.
In late 2026, the Loisdale Court site will become the permanent replacement for the Springfield District office of the county’s health department, located in the Cary Building on Old Keene Mill Road.
Like other county public health centers, the new Franconia-Springfield facility will offer an array of services by appointment, from immunizations and maternal/child health to pregnancy testing and providing certified copies of vital records such as birth and marriage records.
The site also will provide nutrition services through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.
A robust public health program is “more important now than ever,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said at the dedication ceremony.
“I call our people ‘public health warriors,'” he said. “We need to think of public health as essential public infrastructure.”
Acknowledging that some other county public health facilities are not in prime condition, McKay said he hoped the Franconia-Springfield center sends a message that health staff “deserve and should be working in the best possible environment.”
The facility includes nine examination rooms, including two isolation rooms for treatment of potentially infectious diseases. There also will be a laboratory and secure space for medication storage.
Located near Springfield Town Center and the Franconia-Springfield Metro station, the facility is accessible to those using transit. It will provide “critical access to services for some of our most vulnerable residents,” said Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk.
Services will be offered to up to 84 clients per day to start, a figure that likely will grow as staff becomes accustomed to the facility.
Addo-Ayensu said the new facility represents the culmination of two years’ of dedicated effort.
“All of our partners rolled up their sleeves and played their part,” she said. “Public health is a team sport.”
As the county prepares to open the Franconia-Springfield facility, it is also winding down operations at the Joseph Willard Health Center in Fairfax City.
Oct. 1 was the last day that the facility at 3750 Blenheim Blvd will offer services before it’s demolished to make way for a new health and community center expected to open in September 2028.
