Population Health

Population health is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire population and reduce health inequities among certain groups. Population health refers to not only the overall health of a population, but also to the distribution of health outcomes within a population, which include the range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health outcomes, and the policies and interventions that affect those factors. Population health is an interdisciplinary, customizable approach that allows health departments to connect practice to policy for change to happen locally.

Virginia’s Plan for Well-Being was released in 2016 with the goal of making Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. The plan highlights specific goals and strategies on which communities can focus so the state can make measurable health improvement by 2020.

Where and how we live, learn, work, and play affects our health and understanding how these factors influence health is critical for developing the best strategies to address them. A Community Health Assessment (CHA) was completed in 2023 to identify the health-related needs and strengths of Norfolk.

The Norfolk Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is an action-oriented plan created to make the Norfolk community a healthier place to live. In partnership with community partners and Norfolk residents, the Norfolk Department of Public Health is currently developing the 2025 CHIP, using the key findings from the 2023 CHA, which included qualitative data from focus groups and local, state, and national quantitative data 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 Norfolk. Norfolk’s CHIP will include action plans for health issues and cross-cutting priorities identified through the 2023 CHA process and later prioritized by the Norfolk Community Advisory Board, community partners, and Norfolk residents.

Each issue will have goals, objectives, and key actions that will be implemented to promote optimal health and well-being for all who live, work, and play in the Norfolk community.

If you have any questions or other feedback about the Norfolk Community Health Assessment and/or Community Health Improvement Plan, please email your request to NDPH.