Report Publish Date: October 2022
This report summarizes Vermont’s health, wellbeing, and equity journey from 2016 to 2021, as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Sentinel Communities Surveillance project.
Vermont’s ability to promote health, equity, and well-being has historically been led and influenced by its Department of Health but strong cross-sector collaborations and influential nonprofit organizations are also addressing a wide range of issues facing residents across Vermont,” the authors write. Large scale state initiatives guide the state’s efforts and housing has become an increasingly urgent issue.
The pandemic reinforced an already strong shared value around community health, and the state was increasing its focus on the social determinants of health.
Begun in 2016, RWJF’s Sentinel Communities Surveillance project tracks how a Culture of Health is developing in 29 communities across the country. The authors wanted to describe key challenges, opportunities, and insights in Vermont.
The authors gathered information from phone interviews with Sentinel Community leaders; online, published, and local materials and media about the communities; and data sources including the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, County Health Rankings, and state and local data collection systems.
For this report, the authors conducted 38 hourlong, semi-structured interviews between early 2018 and spring 2022. Interviewees came from a number of different types of organizations and sectors.
“Vermont continues to top rankings as one of the healthiest states in the nation and has been a longstanding leader in promoting health and well-being through its health in all policies approach, focus on climate change, and appreciation of the importance of social determinants of health.”
—RAND Corporation
“Vermont’s journey to promote health and well-being is one that illustrates the importance of narrative and viewing health as a shared value to address social determinants and other drivers of health, and cross-sector collaboration and community engagement to develop and implement more comprehensive, localized solutions,” the authors say. “At the same time, state-level agencies are also actively collaborating to tackle some of the state’s most pressing challenges, including affordable housing and clean energy.”
This study and report was conducted and created by:
With an activist history and long-standing commitment to health, see why Vermont consistently ranks as one of the healthiest U.S. states.
A library of research and perspectives about Sentinel Communities, 30 diverse communities around the country.