Virginia Department of Health

What Virginia Department of Health does

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is the Commonwealth of Virginia's state government agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health across the Commonwealth. Established in 1872 to consolidate local health efforts, VDH operates through a Central Office in Richmond and a statewide network of 35 local health districts encompassing 119 local health departments, employing approximately 3,300 staff. The agency's mandate spans disease prevention and control, immunization services and registry management, emergency preparedness and response, environmental health protection, maternal and child health, vital records administration, healthcare facility licensure and certification, drinking water oversight, food safety, and health data surveillance.\n\nVDH's technology infrastructure centers on the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS) for statewide vaccination records, an ESSENCE-based syndromic surveillance system integrated with the CDC's National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), a comprehensive statewide VDH Data Portal covering chronic disease, communicable disease, environmental health, and maternal/child health data, and Oracle APEX-based custom applications for secure internal data management. A 2018 pilot with the U.S. Department of Defense established bidirectional syndromic surveillance data sharing — the first integration of its kind between military and civilian health systems. The agency holds PHAB national accreditation (awarded May 2023) recognizing compliance with peer-reviewed public health standards.\n\nAs a government agency, VDH is funded through Virginia state appropriations and federal grants from the CDC and HHS, with services delivered at no direct cost to residents. The go-to-market motion is dual-pronged: direct-to-consumer via 119 local health departments, the VDH Call Center (1-877-829-4682), online portals, and social media; and provider-led through clinician letters, standing orders, disease reporting systems, and provider resource portals serving Virginia healthcare professionals. The State Health Commissioner, Dr. B. Cameron Webb, is appointed by the Governor of Virginia. Recent operational activity includes managing a measles outbreak in Buckingham and Cumberland Counties (129 statewide cases as of June 2026), launching the Beyond the Blues maternal mental health campaign funded by a $553,200 General Assembly allocation, rolling out a new statewide Maternal Health Website, and awarding four Perinatal Health Hubs Pilot grants ($2.5 million in state funding through June 2027).

Name

Virginia Department of Health

Legal name

Virginia Department of Health

Website

https://vdh.virginia.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Virginia Department of Health is the Commonwealth's state public health agency, delivering disease prevention, immunization, emergency preparedness, maternal and child health, environmental health, and vital records services statewide through a Central Office in Richmond, 35 local health districts, and 119 local health departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (92312), Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Administration (BPAIAJAJ), Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion Departments (HLAJAAAN), Regulatory Compliance, Licensing & Enforcement (Public Health) (HLAJAMAE), Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Disease prevention programs
• Immunization registry
• Maternal child health
• Vital records services

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Appropriations: Primary funding from Virginia state government appropriations for public health services, emergency preparedness, and health programs across the Commonwealth
2. Federal CDC and HHS Grants: Federal grants from CDC and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services supporting specific health programs including Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CDC-funded)

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Virginia Department of Health is the state public health agency that protects and promotes the health of Virginians through a centralized Richmond headquarters and a network of 35 local health districts with 119 local health departments. It delivers disease prevention and control, immunization services and the VIIS registry, maternal and child health programs (including WIC), vital records issuance (birth, death, marriage, divorce), healthcare facility licensure and certification, environmental health protection, emergency preparedness, and the Beyond the Blues maternal mental health campaign.

Product overview

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is a government health agency with a statewide Central Office in Richmond and 35 local health districts operating 119 local health departments. Rather than a unified software product, VDH provides a broad portfolio of public health services, programs, and digital resources including the VIIS immunization registry, Measles Dashboard, Maternal Health Website, Beyond the Blues campaign, Lead Safe Virginia prevention program, Data Portal, Clinician Resources Portal, Syndromic Surveillance system, Vital Records services, WIC nutrition program, and EMS Portal. These offerings function as interconnected public health infrastructure supporting disease prevention, health promotion, emergency preparedness, and health data management across the Commonwealth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Beyond the Blues: A statewide public awareness campaign designed to help Virginians understand perinatal and postpartum depression and maternal mental health
• VIIS (Virginia Immunization Information System)
• Lead Safe Virginia

Products and services

• Local Health Districts and Local Health Departments Network Network of 35 local health districts operating 119 local health departments across Virginia, providing community-level public health services including immunizations, disease testing, vital records, WIC services, environmental health, and health education.
• Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS) State immunization registry storing and managing vaccination records for Virginia residents, enabling users to view, download, and print immunization histories.
• Vital Records Services Official issuance of birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates for Virginia residents through in-person and mail service.
• Virginia WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program Nutrition assistance program providing food, health screening, nutrition education, and referrals for pregnant women, new mothers, and children under 5.
• Virginia EMS Portal Portal for EMS education, certification, and provider services including training and continuing education for emergency medical services personnel.
• Lead Safe Virginia (Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program) CDC-funded program providing surveillance of blood lead levels in children under 16, lead poisoning prevention education, and oversight for screening and case management for families in pre-1978 housing.
• VDH Data Portal Comprehensive health data portal providing chronic disease, communicable disease, community health improvement, deaths, demographics, environmental health, immunization, injury/violence/substance use, and maternal/child health data, plus Virginia Open Data Portal access.
• Syndromic Surveillance (ESSENCE) Syndromic surveillance system monitoring emergency department and urgent care visits for public health threats, including heat-related illness surveillance, integrated with the CDC National Syndromic Surveillance Program.
• Clinician Resources Portal Portal providing clinician letters, disease reporting information, standing orders, emergency declarations, and a healthcare professional newsletter for Virginia healthcare providers.
• Measles Dashboard Real-time public dashboard tracking measles cases, hospitalizations, deaths, case numbers by age group, health district, and vaccination status, updated Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• VDH Maternal Health Website Centralized interactive website providing resources on pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum topics for Virginians, combining governmental and non-governmental resources.
• Beyond the Blues Statewide awareness campaign and online resource hub for perinatal and postpartum depression and maternal mental health, providing information, support resources, and a campaign toolkit for Virginians.
• VDH Call Center Statewide call center at 1-877-829-4682 providing public health information and assistance, available Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Virginia Hepatitis CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026VDH joined with Virginia Hepatitis Coalition for Hepatitis Awareness Month 2026 to combat viral hepatitis through testing, vaccination, and treatment awareness. The coalition includes clinicians, service providers, community partners, and individuals affected by viral hepatitis.
• Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Joint partnership for Beyond the Blues campaign to raise awareness of perinatal and postpartum depression. DBHDS Commissioner Daryl Washington co-announced the maternal mental health initiative with VDH Commissioner Dr. Cameron Webb.
• Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023PHAB jointly supported by CDC and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, awarded VDH national public health accreditation in May 2023. The accreditation demonstrates VDH meets national quality standards and measures through rigorous peer-reviewed assessment.
• U.S. Department of DefensemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2018DoD and VDH launched pilot project in June 2018 to develop processes for sharing syndromic surveillance data through CDC's National Syndromic Surveillance Program. First time DoD and civilian health surveillance data became visible in same system.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDC co-supports the PHAB accreditation program and provides federal guidance for disease outbreaks, immunizations, emergency preparedness, and public health surveillance. VDH actively coordinates with CDC on measles, Ebola, hantavirus, and other disease responses.
• Postpartum Support VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPostpartum Support Virginia provides directory of mental health providers specializing in perinatal care and offers care coordination services. Referenced in VDH's Beyond the Blues maternal mental health campaign.
• Child Development ResourcesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient in Williamsburg for Perinatal Health Hubs Pilot Program, part of $2.5 million state funding initiative to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal health outcomes.
• Strength In PeersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient in Harrisonburg for Perinatal Health Hubs Pilot Program, part of $2.5 million state funding initiative.
• Johnston Memorial HospitalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient in Abingdon for Perinatal Health Hubs Pilot Program, part of $2.5 million state funding initiative.
• Rockbridge Area Health CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient in Lexington for Perinatal Health Hubs Pilot Program, part of $2.5 million state funding initiative.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• California Department of Public Health: State-level public health agency with comparable scope (disease control, immunization, maternal-child health, vital records, emergency preparedness) serving a population several times larger than Virginia. Most direct structural peer.
• New York State Department of Health: State public health authority operating county-level health districts, licensing healthcare facilities, and running immunization and surveillance programs analogous to VDH's portfolio.
• Texas Department of State Health Services: State health agency with regional/local health offices, regulatory authority over facilities, and similar maternal/child, immunization, and infectious disease responsibilities.
• Florida Department of Health: Statewide public health agency operating through 67 county health departments with overlapping service lines including WIC, epidemiology, vital statistics, and emergency preparedness.
• Washington State Department of Health: Direct peer given that VDH's Deputy Commissioner for Population Health (Stephanie Dunkel) was recruited from this agency; comparable scope across disease control, environmental health, and maternal-child programs.
• Pennsylvania Department of Health: State health agency with district-level service delivery, immunization registries, and regulatory oversight similar in structure and mission to VDH.
• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: Large local public health jurisdiction operating its own surveillance, immunization, and chronic disease programs; serves as a useful operational benchmark for high-throughput district-level service delivery.
• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Municipal public health authority with comparable functions including syndromic surveillance, maternal-child health, vital records, and regulatory licensing, scaled to a large urban population.

Regional players

• Maryland Department of Health: Neighboring state public-health authority with overlapping regulatory and surveillance responsibilities; relevant for benchmarking regional outbreak response and federal grant capture.

Others

• Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB): Not a competitor but the accreditation body whose standards VDH meets; relevant ecosystem reference for understanding quality benchmarks and peer accreditation cohorts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=C4sQrhlSv1E
• Facebookfacebook.com/VDHgov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/virginia-department-of-health
• Xx.com/vdhgov

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Virginia Department of Health