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Virginia Birth Defects Tracking Program Program
Title: Virginia Congenital Anomaly Reporting and Education
System
Organization: Division of Child and Adolescent Health
Virginia Department of Health
Project Period: March 2005–February 2010
Project Director: Nancy Ford, RN, MPH
Grant Title: Population-Based Birth Defects Surveillance
Programs and the Utilization of Surveillance Data by Public Health
Programs
Project Summary
The Virginia Congenital Anomalies Reporting and
Education System (VaCARES) is a statewide passive surveillance
system that collects data on children younger than 2 years of age
with a birth defect diagnosis identified by a hospital upon
discharge or listed on the birth certificate. The Virginia
Department of Health works with the Children with Special Health
Care Needs (CSHCN) Program to promote the optimal health and
development of children with special health care needs by partnering
with families, service providers, and communities.
Project Goals and ActivitiesSurveillance
- Broaden methodologies and approaches to improve and expand
the capacity of the VaCARES.
- Analyze and disseminate surveillance data generated by the
system in a timely way, including rates and trends of major
birth defects.
- Evaluate the surveillance methodology used.
Prevention
- Invite additional partners within Virginia
to join in NTD prevention.
- Start new NTD prevention programs based on
epidemiologic and social marketing principles.
- Expand partnerships to share results and
integrate genetics into public health.
- Evaluate progress made in preventing birth
defects in Virginia, including evaluation of the quality of
surveillance data used.
Referrals
- Work with appropriate partners within
Virginia to expand activities to improve the access of children
with birth defects to comprehensive, community-based,
family-centered care.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of referral
services and the outcomes of children and families who receive
those services.
Date:
January 03, 2008
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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