Editing Virginia (section)

==Health==
[[File:200318-N-BB298-1072 (49786116842).jpg|thumb|Patients are screened for [[COVID-19]] outside [[Naval Medical Center Portsmouth]], the [[United States Navy|Navy]]'s oldest continuously operating hospital.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.pilotonline.com/life/article_eae5349c-1f9e-5ce2-bdb7-78ee8f5090a3.html |title= Stories march through doors of 1827 Naval Medical Center |first= Lia |last= Russell |newspaper= The Virginian-Pilot |date= October 26, 2008 |access-date= January 15, 2022}}</ref>|alt=Two medical professionals, one holding a clipboard, in blue scrubs and facemasks stand outside the window of a dark blue car parked in front of a brick building.]]

Virginia was ranked best for its physical environment in the 2023 United Health Foundation's Health Rankings, but 19th for its overall health outcomes and only 26th for residents' healthy behaviors. Among U.S. states, Virginia has the 22nd lowest rate of premature deaths, with 8,709 per 100,000,<ref name=ahr>{{cite web|url=https://assets.americashealthrankings.org/app/uploads/allstatesummaries-ahr23.pdf|date=November 28, 2023|title=Virginia|website=America's Health Rankings|publisher=United Health Foundation|access-date=March 13, 2024}}</ref> and an [[infant mortality]] rate of 5.61 per 1,000 live births.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr69/NVSR-69-7-508.pdf |website= National Vital Statistics Reports |publisher= U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |volume= 69 |number= 7 |date= July 16, 2020 |title= Infant Mortality in the United States, 2018: Data From the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File |first1= Danielle M. |last1= Ely |first2= Anne K. |last2= Driscoll |access-date= March 29, 2020}}</ref> The rate of uninsured Virginians dropped to 6.5% in 2023, following an expansion of [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] in 2019.<ref name=ahr/> [[Falls Church, Virginia|Falls Church]] and [[Loudoun County, Virginia|Loudoun County]] were both ranked in the top ten healthiest communities in 2020 by ''U.S. News & World Report''.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://wtop.com/local/2020/09/virginia-has-2-of-us-news-10-healthiest-communities-for-2020/ |title= Virginia has 2 of US News' 10 healthiest communities for 2020 |website= WTOP |first= Rob |last= Woodfork |date= September 22, 2020 |access-date= September 23, 2020}}</ref>

With high rates of heart disease and diabetes, African Americans in Virginia have an average life expectancy four years less than whites and twelve less than Asian Americans and Latinos,<ref>{{cite news |url= http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2017/dec/01/racial-disparity-health-care/ |title= Racial disparity in healthcare |newspaper= Richmond Free Press |date= December 1, 2017 |first= Samantha |last= Willis |access-date= June 1, 2020}}</ref> and were disproportionately affected by the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia|coronavirus pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/05/05/fact-check-blacks-make-up-all-covid-19-deaths-richmond-virginia/3086558001/ |title= Fact check: Black people make up disproportionate share of COVID-19 deaths in Richmond, Virginia |first= Donnelle |last= Eller |newspaper= USA Today |date= May 5, 2020 |access-date= June 2, 2020}}</ref> African-American mothers are also three times more likely to [[Maternal mortality in the United States|die while giving birth]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.dailypress.com/news/health/dp-nws-evg-vp-black-childbirth-mortality-virginia-20180629-story.html |title= Black women in Virginia die in childbirth at 3 times the rate of any other race. What's going on? |first= Katherine |last= Hafner |newspaper= The Virginian-Pilot |date= June 29, 2018 |access-date= June 1, 2020}}</ref> Mortality rates among white middle-class Virginians have also been rising, with drug overdose, alcohol poisoning, and suicide as leading causes.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/report-finds-death-rates-rise-for-white-middle-class-virginians/article_b1fba73d-fd60-5303-90ef-9c3eb83d62f3.html |title= Report finds death rates rise for white, middle-class Virginians |first= Luanne |last= Rife |newspaper= The Roanoke Times |date= March 21, 2018 |access-date= June 1, 2020}}</ref> Suicides in the state increased over 14% between 2009 and 2023, while deaths from drug overdoses more than doubled.<ref name=ahr/> Virginia has a ratio of 221.5&nbsp;[[primary care physician]]s per 10,000&nbsp;residents, the fifteenth worst rate nationally, and only 250.3&nbsp;mental health providers per that number, the fourteenth worst nationwide.<ref name=ahr/> A December 2023 report by the [[Virginia General Assembly|General Assembly]] found that all nine public mental health care facilities were over 95% full, causing overcrowding and delays in admissions.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/12/12/virginia-mental-health-jlarc-report/ |title= Surging need creates safety issues at Va. mental hospitals, study finds |first1= Justin |last1= Jouvenal |first2= Jenna |last2= Portnoy |date= December 12, 2023|newspaper= The Washington Post |access-date= March 13, 2024}}</ref>

Weight is an issue for many Virginians: 32.2% of adults and 14.9% of 10- to 17-year-olds are obese {{as of|2021|lc=on}},<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stateofchildhoodobesity.org/state-data/?state=va|title=Childhood Obesity New Data|website=State of Childhood Obesity|year=2021|access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref> 35% of adults are overweight, and 23.3% do not exercise regularly.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://patch.com/virginia/ashburn/virginia-fatter-21-other-states-report |title= Virginia Is Fatter Than 21 Other States: Report |first= Elizabeth |last= Janney |website= Patch |date= May 10, 2018 |access-date= June 1, 2020}}</ref> Smoking in bars and restaurants was banned in January 2010,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/30/restaurant-owners-to-brace-for-smoke-ban|title=Va. restaurant owners bracing for smoke ban|work=[[The Washington Times]]|date=November 30, 2009|access-date=May 6, 2011|agency=[[Associated Press]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201044553/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/30/restaurant-owners-to-brace-for-smoke-ban/|archive-date=December 1, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> and the percent of tobacco smokers in the state has declined from 19% in that year to 12.1% in 2023, but an additional 7.7% use [[e-cigarette]]s. The percentage of adults who receive annual immunizations is above average, as 47.8% get their yearly flu vaccination.<ref name=ahr/> In 2008, Virginia became the first U.S. state to mandate the [[HPV vaccine]] for girls for school attendance,<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/va-senate-kills-bill-repealing-hpv-vaccine-requirement-for-girls/2012/02/27/gIQAviHMeR_blog.html |title= Va. Senate kills bill repealing HPV vaccine requirement for girls |first= Anita |last= Kumar |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= February 27, 2012 |access-date= June 2, 2020}}</ref> and 62.7% of adolescents have the vaccine {{As of|2023|lc=on}}.<ref name=ahr/>

The [[Virginia Board of Health]] regulates healthcare facilities. There are 88&nbsp;[[List of hospitals in Virginia|hospitals in Virginia]] with a combined 17,024&nbsp;hospital beds {{as of|2023|lc=on}}. The largest in both Virginia and the [[Washington metropolitan area]] is [[Inova Fairfax Hospital]], which serves over 55,000&nbsp;patients annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ahd.com/states/hospital_VA.html|title=Individual Hospital Statistics for Virginia|website=American Hospital Directory|date=May 7, 2023|access-date=March 13, 2024}}</ref> [[VCU Medical Center]], where a new 16-story [[children's hospital]] was opened in 2023, is highly ranked for [[pediatrics]],<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/us-news-and-world-report-ranks-childrens-hospital-of-richmond-at-vcu-one-of-the-nations-best |title= U.S. News & World Report ranks Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU one of the nation's best children's hospitals in eight specialties |website= VCU Health |date= June 21, 2023 |access-date= March 12, 2024}}</ref> while [[University of Virginia Health System|UVA Medical Center]] is highly ranked for its cancer care,<ref>{{cite web |url= https://news.virginia.edu/content/news-brief-uva-health-university-medical-center-named-best-state-cancer-care |title= UVA Health University Medical Center Named Best in State for Cancer Care |first= Eric |last= Swensen |date= August 9, 2023 |website= University of Virginia News |access-date= March 13, 2024}}</ref> and the state numbers in the top ten for annual [[cancer screening]]s.<ref name=ahr/> [[Sentara Norfolk General Hospital]], a teaching institution of [[Eastern Virginia Medical School]], was the site of the [[Elizabeth Jordan Carr|first successful]] U.S. [[in-vitro fertilization]] program, and around 2.5% of births in the state are due to IVF.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2024/03/07/ivf-virginia-embryos-alabama-ruling |title= Where IVF stands in Virginia after the Alabama ruling |website= Axios Richmond |first= Sabrina |last= Moreno |date= March 7, 2024 |access-date= March 13, 2024}}</ref>