Together with its partners, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) aims to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Using Virginia’s Plan for Well Being (The Plan) as a guidance document, VDH monitors its shared progress for population health improvement as measured by multiple health indicators outlined in the 2018 Annual Progress Report. Using data to evaluate progress helps VDH to assess whether its strategies and systems are effective, and to make adjustments when needed.

As part of this continual improvement process, VDH is committed to the ongoing assessment and mitigation of health inequities that exist across the Commonwealth. The measures presented in the Annual Progress Report are at a state level; different communities may have different population health concerns. Health disparities and health inequities analyzed at lower geographic levels (e.g., county, health district, etc.), or within subpopulations, are more meaningful to guide action. This work is inculcated at the local level through community health assessment and community health improvement planning processes, which is driven by collective impact.