About Us

Beginnings

The Vermont Public Health Association (VtPHA) was chartered as a Vermont nonprofit in 2002 by a group of volunteers committed to elevating the role of the public health within the state.

These founding members saw an opportunity to shift focus and resources from treating illness and injury to preventing people from getting sick and hurt in the first place.

Rather than having to treat people with communicable diseases, what if we did a better job teaching communities how to slow disease transmission? How would promoting healthier lifestyles reduce the number of Vermonters suffering from cardiovascular disease? How much money would individuals save by avoiding preventable trips to the doctor’s office or emergency room?

How much happier and healthier could Vermonters be if we spent as much time promoting health as curing illness?

As an affiliated association of the American Public Health Association, from day one VtPHA has been committed to advocating for compassionate, science-based and evidence-informed approaches to Vermont’s public health and healthcare needs. We work upstream, downstream, and alongside healthcare providers in our never-ending collective search for the best ways to create a healthier Vermont.

Child with a pediatrician in a doctor's office

Woman getting her blood pressure taken by a nurse

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

— World Health Organization

Mission

To improve the lives and wellbeing of all Vermonters by connecting, mentoring, and empowering the state’s public health champions.

Vision

A healthy Vermont.

Approach

VtPHA is a small organization with a big mission. So how do we get our work done? Hand-in-hand with you. We are a membership organization made up of public health students, practitioners, and everyday Vermonters with a passion for promoting public health.

Our collective effort is guided by a set of core values that we return to often in our daily work.

The work of public health is not the responsibility of disembodied experts. EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY PLAYS A ROLE. VtPHA is a home for public health champions where we can connect, learn, and raise our voices to ensure Vermonters live their healthiest and happiest lives.