Division of Health Statistics

The Division of Health Statistics (DHS) collects, compiles and reports vital statistics data. This includes data on births, deaths, natural fetal deaths and induced terminations of pregnancies. DHS also formats population data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Census Bureau into reports by age, race, sex and ethnicity. The statistics are widely used by federal, state and local government as well as the private sector to analyze current and historical patterns and to forecast future needs.

Government officials also use the data collected by DHS to establish baselines and to evaluate the effectiveness of programs they administer. These measurements help officials judge how well they are meeting their strategic plan.

The DHS collaborated with the office of the Chief Medical Examiner to complete the Virginia pilot participation in the National Violent Death Reporting System, which is administered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A module containing extensive cancer mortality data was added to the DHS Web site to meet the needs of the Office of Family Health Services Cancer Registry. This improvement in communication of data was recommended by the Virginia Cancer Plan Advisory Committee, of which VDH is a partner.