Improving Health and Wellbeing in the NRV
We know that the New River Valley is a wonderful place to live, work, and play. We also know that our region’s success relies on having individuals, families, and businesses that are healthy, happy, and connected to one another.
Our community health assessment from 2018 tells us that factors like transportation, safe housing, and knowledge of services affect our region’s overall health and wellbeing. To address these factors we have to think creatively about coordinating resources and investing in solutions that will support our region’s workforce now and in the future.
Healthy Roots NRV is a developing network of individuals and organizations dedicated to improving health and wellbeing in the New River Valley. We invite you to explore our resources page for information on collaborative efforts in the NRV, notes from community conversations, and much more. We also hope you’ll join us at community events or join a working group.
Understanding the Need
The Community Health Assessment is carried out by Carilion Clinic every three years to assess factors affecting health and wellbeing in the New River Valley. The process is guided by the Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) with extensive involvement from citizens, health and human service agencies, business and community leaders, and it includes surveys, focus groups, and secondary data collection to understand priority needs affecting health. The 2021 Community Health Assessment identified the following priorities:
- Mental Health
- Access to mental/behavioral health services
- Access to substance use services
- Mental health problems (general)
- Socioeconomic Factors
- Poverty/low average household income
- Affordable/safe housing
- Transportation/transit system
- Health Behaviors
- Culture – healthy behaviors are not a priority
- Access to healthy foods
- High prevalence of chronic disease (general)
- Lack of knowledge of community resources
Our Partners
With generous support from Carilion Clinic, the Community Foundation of the New River Valley provides the administrative backbone for Healthy Roots NRV, but this is truly a regional effort with many partners. For more information on Healthy Roots or to get involved, subscribe to our email list or contact our team at cfnrv@cfnrv.org.
