Virginia Beach health department to receive $6 million for public health initiatives

Over $74 million in federal funding is being allocated to the public health workforce and infrastructure of the commonwealth, according to a joint news release from Virginia’s two U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.

The Virginia Beach Department of Public Health will receive $6 million; the state health department will receive $68.4 million, according to the release.

Roughly $27.4 million of the money to the state department will be sent to health departments across the state over five years for recruitment, hiring, training and retaining a variety of workers, strengthen communications and policy creation through community partnerships and make health data more available.

The funding is part of $3.2 billion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that is being sent to jurisdictions for public health workforce and infrastructure, according to the CDC.

“Our state and local public health workers serve on the front lines helping to promote and protect the health and well-being of communities across the commonwealth,” the senators said in the joint emailed release. “We’re glad this funding is headed to Virginia to ensure that we have the workforce, services, and systems needed to improve preparedness and respond to emerging public health threats.”