State Health Assessment and Improvement Plan

The Health of People in Vermont

What do we know?

The Vermont State Health Assessment is an overview of what we know about the health of people in Vermont at a point in time. The Assessment is an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data that examines health inequities by race and ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status and geography. The Assessment is conducted every five years.

What are we going to do about it?

Results of the State Health Assessment are used to develop the State Health Improvement Plan. The Plan outlines how the Department of Health and other state and community partners will prioritize efforts to promote health and equity in Vermont over a five-year period.  It is a way for different sectors and organizations to coordinate on key issues to improve the lives of people in Vermont.

The Assessment takes data from around the state and presents it in a way that summarizes the main health issues facing Vermonters. The Plan takes that information and narrows it down to 3-5 priorities that the state will focus on for the next five years.

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Share your feedback on the draft State Health Improvement Plan. 

2024 State Health Assessment

The 2024 Assessment began with a review of publicly available data about the health and well-being of the entire state and populations experiencing disproportionate health inequities. This data was used to inform conversations with community partners and individuals with lived expertise to better understand the strengths, needs, and experiences of people in Vermont.  

Findings from the State Health Assessment can be found below in two formats:

1. Two-page data briefs by population. These include both quantitative and qualitative data.
2. Detailed presentations by population and health need. These are entirely qualitative data, reflecting the voices of Vermonters from focus groups and interviews. 

Data Briefs by Population

Indigenous People မြန်မာစာ/Burmese | Kirundi | Español/Spanish 

Older Vermonters မြန်မာစာ/Burmese | Kirundi | Español/Spanish

People of color မြန်မာစာ/Burmese | Kirundi | Español/Spanish

People with disabilities မြန်မာစာ/Burmese | Kirundi | Español/Spanish

People who are unhoused မြန်မာစာ/Burmese | Kirundi | Español/Spanish

People who identify as LGBTQ+ မြန်မာစာ/Burmese | Kirundi | Español/Spanish

Statewide မြန်မာစာ/Burmese | Kirundi | Español/Spanish

Detailed Presentations by Population and Health Need 

Population

Indigenous People 

Immigrants and Refugees

Older Vermonters 

People of color

People with disabilities

People who are unhoused

People who identify as LGBTQ+

Health Need

Access to Care

Climate Change

Cost of Living

Discrimination

Housing

Mental Health and Substance Use

Specific Health Conditions 

How to use the data

Please use this data freely! We hope that it is useful for our partners in your efforts to improve health and well-being. You can use this data to:

• Elevate the voices of people with lived experience to provide context to quantitative data.
• Understand the factors that impact health and well-being.
• Identify solutions to address some of the most important health needs facing people in Vermont.
• Inform planning and decision-making for your organization or community.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration with other organizations or sectors. 

2025-2030 State Health Improvement Plan 

The State Health Improvement Plan is a five-year roadmap for ensuring that all people and communities in Vermont have access to opportunities for health and well-being. It reflects the shared efforts of people and organizations across the state. It outlines what we plan to achieve, how we will achieve it, and how we will know if we have achieved it. There are four areas of focus in the SHIP: access to care; cost of living; housing; and mental health/substance use.

We are looking for feedback on the draft Improvement Plan to make sure that it is clear and meaningful. This presentation gives an overview of the draft Plan and how it was developed. After reviewing the presentation, please complete this survey by February 28, 2025 to share your thoughts.