University of Virginia Health System

The Division of Public Health Policy and Practice focuses on teaching, research, and community interventions in public health practice and in health care policy. The division provides a unique home for those interested in multidisciplinary approaches to addressing the health needs of populations.

The Division of Public Health Policy & Practice is the academic home of the Master of Public Health Program.  Please see our newsletters page.

The Division provides opportunities for undergraduates through the Global Public Health Minor and the Five-Year BA/BS - Public Health Program. The Division is also a resource for Public Health Undergraduate Education. 

Also, in partnership with the Office of Graduate Medical Education, the Division coordinates education for hospital housestaff through the Certificate in Public Health Sciences. 

The Division works with faculty throughout the university and partners in the community to improve public health.  A multi-disciplinary working group, the Built Environment & Health Research Group, is exploring the influences of the built environment on human health.

A number of faculty and students participated this year in the community health needs assessment project under the leadership of the local health department and Dr. Lilian Peake, District Health Director, Thomas Jefferson Health District, an adjunct professor in the division.  The comprehensive study was done under the auspices of Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP), a tool developed by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Please see the MAPP page for a full report.  Please click here for pictures and audio from the Medical Center Hour.