Overview of Population Health
Population health is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire population and to reduce health inequities among certain groups. Population health is not just the overall health of a population, but also includes the distribution of health and can include health outcomes, patterns of health determinants, and policies and interventions.
Virginia’s Plan for Well-Being
Health begins where Virginians live, work, and play. Virginia’s Plan for Well-Being lays out the foundation for giving everyone a chance to live a healthy life.
Virginia’s Plan for Well-Being 2023–2027 will be a shared vision to improve the health of all Virginians. It will outline priority areas and includes strategies to improve the health of all people in Virginia. Grounded in data, the Plan for Well-Being identifies strategies to improve outcomes around six priority areas identified by the State Health Assessment Advisory Council in August 2022.
The website is currently being updated for the release of the new 2023-2027 Plan for Well-Being.
Community Health Assessment (CHA)
Where and how we live, learn, work, and play affects our health. Understanding how these factors influence health is critical for developing the best strategies to address them. A Community Health Assessment (CHA) was completed in 2024 to identify the health-related needs and strengths of Virginia Beach.
Your contribution was vital in helping VBDPH and its community partners identify health care needs, improve access to health care services, and enhance the care provided in the communities that we serve.
To view the 2024 Community Health Assessment, click here. You can also view the various appendices of the Health Assessment by clicking below:
If you have questions or comments about the 2024 Community Health Assessment, please send your request to HealthyVB@vdh.virginia.gov.
To view previous CHAs, click below:
Download the Virginia Beach Community Health Assessment Summary
Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)
The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is an action-oriented plan created to make the Virginia Beach community a healthier place to live. The Virginia Beach Department of Public Health will be working with community partners on the development of a CHIP for 2025 using the key findings from the CHA, which include qualitative data from focus groups as well as quantitative data from local, state and national indicators to inform discussions and determine health priority areas.
The CHIP lays the foundation for addressing some of the most challenging public health issues facing the city of Virginia Beach. Solving complex societal and health problems—like poverty or obesity—does not happen overnight. It requires strategic planning and the broad support of the community to make progress incrementally. Virginia Beach’s CHIP will include action plans for issues that were identified through the CHA process and later prioritized by the HealthyVB Steering Committee.
Sources for Community Health Data
Data can be a catalyst for improving community health and well-being. The following resources provides access to national, state, and local health indicators.
Greater Hampton Roads Community Indicators Dashboard
The Greater Hampton Roads Community Indicators Dashboard measures factors that most significantly impact our region’s quality of life. The dashboard allows you search, visualize, compare and share data on both health outcomes and the social determinants that drive health and wellness.
Virginia Department of Health Data Portal
The Virginia Department of Health Data Portal is a comprehensive source for community health assessment, public, and population health data. The portal provides interactive data at the most granular level available.