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The announcement came out on June 27, posted on the Piedmont Health District’s Facebook page. As of Monday, July 14, the Cumberland Health Department will be closing down. The good news? This is just a temporary closing. The bad news? In the meantime, Cumberland residents will have to travel to another county to get these services. 

“The Cumberland Health Department is closing its current location on July 14,” the original statement put out by the Health District staff said. “We want to reassure residents that all public health services will continue to be available. We are currently working to identify a new location, and in the meantime, residents can access the full range of services at nearby health departments.” 

The Herald reached out to both the Piedmont Health District and Virginia Department of Health to ask both what happened to the current Cumberland Health Department, located at 15 Foster Road, and what happens next. We were told that this relocation wasn’t the health department’s idea. That Foster Road property is owned by a private landlord and the department’s lease ends on July 31. The landlord gave what district officials said was “appropriate notice” that they wanted to move on from the lease. The other health departments were used to make sure services are still available to everyone while a new site is being found. 

Cumberland Health Department closes. Now what? 

So the big question is where do I go right now if I need help? That depends on what services you’re looking for. 

“While the new space for the Cumberland County Health Department is determined, certain services previously offered in Cumberland will continue at the Prince Edward County Health Department,” said Sarah Kott. She serves as Population Health Manager for the Piedmont Health District. 

The Prince Edward County Health Department is located at 111 N. South Street in Farmville. 

Cumberland residents can go here to ask for and deal with Medicaid Long-Term Services and Support screenings. These nursing home screenings will be coordinated with the Department of Social Services. Also, all animal bite investigations that happen in Cumberland will be run out of the Prince Edward department as of July 14. The same goes for opioid overdose reversal training, vaccination clinics, family planning and pregnancy prevention clinics and sexual health clinics. That includes both sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment. You will also be able to go to the Prince Edward department to get permit applications to put in a septic system or well, along with any record requests for clinical or septic system/wells.

Other programs shift to Buckingham 

Meanwhile, another program will shift temporarily from Cumberland to Buckingham County. The WIC (Women, Infants and Children) supplemental nutrition program will be available for Cumberland families at the Buckingham County Health Department, located at 80 Administration Lane in Buckingham. 

This won’t be in place that long. 

“A remote clinical site will soon be available for WIC clients in Cumberland County,” Kott said. 

She also pointed out that any health department can help you get access to birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates, it doesn’t have to be the one in your county. You can also access your records online at www.vdh.virginia.gov/vital-records/

As for how long this change will be in place, neither Kott or other health department officials could give a timeframe. They hope to have a new Cumberland facility in place sooner rather than later.