Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Vermont Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (VT BRFSS) - The Vermont BRFSS (VT BRFSS) is an important surveillance tool and the data it provides is widely used, not just by the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) but other state Agencies, stakeholders and partners. A recent example of its use is the 2019-2023 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), which is our five-year plan for improving the health of Vermonters. The SHIP’s five priority areas utilize 23 BRFSS measures that focus on health equity by outlining disparities seen by age, sex, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status. VDH’s continued participation in the BRFSS, through expanded state specific questionnaire development, data collection, analysis and data dissemination, is an essential component of continued health monitoring and improvement for all Vermonters. The VT BRFSS work completed as part of this grant opportunity will build upon previous random digit dialing data collection and analysis funding cycles to increase access to public health prevention data resources. Data collected across all years of the project period will be used in collaboration with numerous other CDC funded projects in Vermont and continue to contribute to data-driven decision making and evaluation at the state and community level. The VDH will use this grant to fund BRFSS and ACBS data collection, quality assurance, data analysis and dissemination. Vermont BRFSS data provide the State and our partners reliable and timely data to inform public health actions, and ultimately improve the health of Vermonters. Data collected from this grant will be used to direct programmatic activities, inform legislators and decision makers on health risks facing Vermonters, and evaluate progress on individual program goals such as reducing the prevalence of various chronic conditions. This grant award will help to ensure continued and ongoing collection of Vermont’s BRFSS data, with datasets prepared for release and use by VDH analysts annually. Additionally, the VT BRFSS will continue to work with VDH programs and other stakeholders to increase their use of data in program planning and decision-making efforts. The activities used to achieve these objectives broadly fall into the areas of planning, data collection, surveillance, and data dissemination. The Vermont BRFSS program will also continue to improve its engagement in surveillance through the release of data through reports such as the annual comprehensive data summary, topical data briefs, goal trackers, district office profile summaries and other reports. Analysts at VDH will also continue to work with individual programs to ensure they include BRFSS data in their program planning, evaluation, and reporting efforts. Lastly, the VT BRFSS program continues to dedicate time toward improving the system for tracking and understanding BRFSS data use at VDH, with the goal of being to identify and address where use of data can be improved. VDH foresees no barriers in continued successful implementation of the VT BRFSS program.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).