The Policy and Assessment Unit provides support for the Divisions of the Office of Family Health Services. The Unit manages many large state-wide research and surveillance activities that are essential to public health, such as the BRFSS and PRAMS. The Unit provides technical support to the various Divisions, including assistance with research design, program evaluation, data analysis and reporting, epidemiological techniques and biostatistics. Additionally, the Unit provides trainings on current topics, such as utilizing GIS in public health surveillance.
What's New
The Virginia Youth Community Survey is in its first year planning stage. This project will monitor priority health-risk behaviors and the prevalence of obesity and asthma among youth and young adults across the Commonwealth using a survey that will be given to a sample of students in public schools. For more information on the CDC's Healthy Youth program, click here.
Check out the Virginia Assessment Initiative Project (VAIP). The VAIP is a 5 year cooperative agreement between VDH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of this project is to improve the way data are used to provide information for community health assessment as well as public health decisions and policy in Virginia.
Grants:
Block Grants
Title V (Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant )The goal of this grant is to improve the health of all mothers and children consistent with the applicable health status goals and national health objectives established by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. States and jurisdictions use Title V funds to design and implement a wide range of maternal and child health programs that meet national and State needs.
PHHS (Preventive Health and Health Services) Block Grants allow states the flexibility and control to address priority health concerns in their communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) administers the block grant and the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Family Health Services has administrative responsibility for the block grant for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Research/Surveillance Grants
Virginia PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) is a joint research project between the Virginia Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). VA PRAMS collects Virginia-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and shortly after pregnancy. This surveywill provide data for state health officials to use to improve the health of Virginia's mothers and babies.
Virginia BRFSS ( Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) is an annual survey of Virginia’s adult population about individual behaviors that relate to chronic disease and injury. The BRFSS is the primary source of state-based information on health risk behaviors among adult populations.
The Virginia Youth Community Survey is in its first year planning stage. This survey will assess youth behaviors accross the Commonwealth using a survey that will be given to a sample of youth in pubic schools.
Data Assessment, Accessibility, and Linkage Grants
VAIP (Virginia Assessment Initiative Project) is a 5 year cooperative agreement between VDH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of this project is to improve the way data are used to provide information for public health decisions and policy in Virginia.
SSDI (State Systems Development Initiative) Grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. This project focuses on the building of state and community infrastructure to improve MCH data capacity and linkages.
