By Cody Mello-Klein, Denise Dunbar | cmelloklein@alextimes.com
This story has been updated as of April 15.
When Dr. Stephen Haering, director of the Alexandria Health Department for the past 11 years, unexpectedly announced his retirement on April 9, he did so for what he called “deeply personal” reasons.
Haering, whose retirement was effective immediately according to a city news release, told the Times in an interview that his departure was “not associated with the pandemic response.”
Haering has been the state’s point person in Alexandria in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic since it first hit the city in March 2020. His department coordinated with public and private entities to administer testing for COVID-19 beginning in March 2020 and to implement vaccine efforts beginning in December 2020.
Despite the endless hours that he and his staff have worked coordinating the city’s COVID-19 response, Haering called the last 15 months “the crown jewel of my worklife at the Alexandria Health Department.”
“Even though it was very stressful, it was long hours – 12-to-16-hour days, six-and-a-half days a week, continuously – the team at the health department was nothing short of outstanding in terms of how we all pulled together, learned to work seamlessly,” Haering said in an interview.
During the pandemic, Haering became a constant presence at City Council meetings and represented the Virginia Department of Health at media briefings about COVID-19 and many other topics on numerous occasions. In Virginia, the heads of local health departments are state employees under the Virginia Department of Health.
“Dr. Haering’s leadership was key to Alexandria’s ability to respond quickly and nimbly to the COVID-19 pandemic in our community,” City Manager Mark Jinks said in the release. “His almost 11 years of service to our community have made Alexandria safer, healthier and more resilient. We wish him well in his retirement.”
Born and raised on a small farm near Louisville, Kentucky, Haering attended medical school at the University of Louisville. He completed a residency in preventative medicine and public health at Johns Hopkins University, where he also researched food security.
Prior to his role in Alexandria, Haering’s interest in the intersection of health and public policy led him to work in the Manatee County Health Department in Florida, where he worked with incarcerated and homeless populations. Haering also worked for the Indian Health Service in Flagstaff, Arizona before joining the Alexandria Health Department in 2010.
Haering spoke about his upbringing and past experiences as a public health professional on the Alexandria Times podcast, Speak Easy, which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or the Times’ website at www.alextimes.com/2020/06/speak-easy/.
During his tenure at the helm, AHD has tackled everything from the derecho storm in 2012 that cut power for thousands of residents, including those in assisted living facilities and hospitals, to a tuberculosis outbreak at Patrick Henry Elementary School.
In reflecting on his time with AHD, Haering said he implemented a holistic, systemic approach to public health and a staff-first approach to his department.
“I brought a sense of caring and responsibility for staff, not just in the Alexandria Health Department but all VDH staff across the agency,” Haering said. “For me, it was just natural. You’ve got to take care of your staff because they take care of the mission.”
“I’m so proud to have worked with Dr. Haering. He is a fierce advocate for both Alexandria’s marginalized communities as well as AHD staff,” Natalie Talis, population health manager in AHD, said in an email. “Throughout even the most stressful times, he never lost sight of our mission and was always willing to help out in any way possible.”
Sheriff Dana Lawhorne recalled Haering’s response and leadership during the intense wind storms in 2012.
“[He] was always respectful and mindful of the roles of others, but his goal was always to do what needed to get done to protect the welfare of the people in Alexandria,” Lawhorne said. “He had the knowledge and skills to execute a plan that worked very effectively that day.”
Lawhorne also said Haering was instrumental in the city’s COVID-19 response. Lawhorne pointed to the health department’s response to an outbreak that occurred in the city’s adult detention center in December 2020, which endangered both sheriff’s department staff and the incarcerated.
At a time when Sheriff’s Department staff were part of vaccination group 1c, Lawhorne said Haering pushed the governor to prioritize his team.
“He was very instrumental in advocating, lobbying Richmond to get us vaccinated, and I believe that his efforts resulted in the governor changing his policy on when we could get vaccinated,” Lawhorne said.
Dr. Rina Bansal, president of Inova Alexandria Hospital, praised Haering’s focus on addressing inequities in health care, which the pandemic has exacerbated.
“Dr. Hearing has been a great partner and an ardent advocate for the health and well being of the Alexandria community,” Bansal said in an email. “He was committed to addressing social determinants of health and reducing health inequity.”
The city announced that Dr. Anne Gaddy, AHD’s deputy director, will serve as acting health director, effective immediately.
“Dr. Haering’s leadership and subject matter expertise supported staff in their work and advanced the organization as a whole,” Gaddy said in an email. “His compassion for the community he served and his passion for public health work were evident to anyone who interacted with him.”
Haering said he is confident in his team’s ability to continue addressing the needs of Alexandria residents during the pandemic.
“We really bonded together and it was an absolute honor and pleasure to have been the director during that time,” Haering said. “… We have, without a doubt, the strongest incident command team bar none, anywhere. We have a tremendously strong team that works well together.”
