Recent Posts

Governor Ralph Northam cites 20 year difference in life expectancy in Richmond, as reported by VCU Center on Society and Health

In his inaugural address, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam pointed to health disparities across the state, highlighting the difference in life expectancy in Richmond: “In far too many places in Virginia, your zip code determines not just how well you will do, but how long you will live. Here in our capital city, a child born…

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Center report finds startling increases in deaths due to substance abuse, suicides among Missouri whites

According to a study released by the Center on Society and Health, in partnership with the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, “deaths of despair”—those related to drugs and alcohol and other causes of death linked to stress—are skyrocketing among young and middle-aged whites in rural Missouri. The study, funded by…

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Center awarded $289,510 grant for place-based investigation of the Health of the States

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded the Center on Society and Health $289,510 to conduct research to identify how place-based factors drive-state level health and health equity. This Health of the States 2 (HOTS2) project will expand on the previous Health of the States investigation by exploring the complex interrelationships between 123 determinants of…

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Spotlight reports show large differences in prevalence of chronic diseases across states

In a pair of reports released this week, the Center on Society and Health and the Urban Institute provide detailed information on how states differ on measures of chronic diseases, and how those outcomes are connected to dozens of potential drivers of health. For example, the rates of diabetes in 2010 ranged 2.5 fold across the…

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New Report Takes Deep-Dive Into Causes of Death Fueling Rises in Mortality in California

According to a study released by the Center on Society and Health, in partnership with the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh,  “deaths of despair”—those related to drugs and alcohol and other causes of death linked to stress—are skyrocketing in rural Northern California and the Central San Joaquin Valley among whites….

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Northern Virginia’s Uneven Opportunity Landscape

When it comes to providing opportunities for social and economic mobility, Northern Virginia is a region of stark contrasts, with communities of great affluence virtually adjacent to highly disadvantaged neighborhoods where residents struggle to get ahead. A new report by the Center on Society and Health, commissioned by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation (NVHF), found…

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VCU Center on Society and Health Awarded $150,000 to Support Research Dedicated to Strengthening Civic Engagement and Volunteering Across the Nation

The VCU Center on Society and Health has been awarded a National Service and Civic Engagement Research grant of $150,000 from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps and the nation’s volunteer initiatives. Through this grant, CSH will contribute to a body of research dedicated to increasing and…

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A Commentary on Social Unrest

The VCU Center on Society and Health denounces the recent rise in expressions of hatred in America and the increasingly threatening and violent acts of intolerance occurring in communities across the country. We feel compelled to speak out in response to the events of August 11-12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, where hundreds of white supremacists, neo-Nazi…

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Rates of homicide and drug overdoses differ more than seven-fold across the United States, according to new report

In a pair of reports released this week, the Center on Society and Health and the Urban Institute provide detailed information on how the prevalence of certain injuries and sexually transmitted infections differ by state, and how those outcomes are connected to dozens of potential drivers of health. For example, the number of homicide-related deaths…

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Pursuing Health Equity

Center Director Steven Woolf spoke today at the Health Affairs briefing on “Pursuing Health Equity.” Dr. Woolf and his colleagues discussed several topics related to health equity, including evidence of inequities in health care, how to achieve health equity, and ways in which we can address the social determinants of health. The briefing marks the release…

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