1 Department of Health Professions Board Training October 22, 2008 Sandra Whitley Ryals, Director

1

Department of Health Professions

Board Training October 22, 2008

Sandra Whitley Ryals, Director

2


Getting a Sense of the Agency Overview

• An Executive Branch agency within the Secretariat of Health and Human Resources

• Approximately 250 Employees• 14 Boards

– 13 Health Regulatory Boards & 1 Board of Health Professions 6 statutory advisory boards and one joint committee Standing and ad hoc committees and panels 163 board members appointed by the Governor

• Health Practitioner Intervention Program Committee• Prescription Monitoring Program Advisory Committee• Healthcare Workforce Data Center

3

Who do we regulate: and how?

• Who We Regulate for Standards? Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, counselors, clinical social workers, psychologists, audiologists, speech pathologists, allied health providers, physical therapists, nursing home and assisted living administrators optometrists, veterinarians, funeral directors and embalmers

• How We Regulate In the Public Interest? DHP Issues initial and renewal licenses, requires continuing education, receives, investigates, and adjudicates allegations of misconduct, and provides information about practitioners.

13 Boards for Discipline Oversight, plusOne Multidiscipline Board

Licensure & Discipline for297,000 providers

Safe Access for 7 millionHealth Care Consumers


4

Board and staff together make the process work

DHPCredentials

PublicAllegations

=Staff

InvestigatesBoards

Determine

Professional comes into

system


5

Virginia’s thirteen health regulatory boards are administratively housed within the Department of Health Professions. For a host of information about the Department and each board and their over 90 different regulants go to: www.dhp.virginia.gov

» Audiology & Speech-Lang. Path.» Counseling» Dentistry» Funeral Directors & Embalmers» Health Professions» Long-Term Care Administrators » Medicine» Nursing» Optometry » Pharmacy» Physical Therapy» Psychology» Social Work» Veterinary Medicine


6

Agency Mission• To enhance the delivery

of safe and competent health care by licensing qualified health care professionals, enforcing standards of practice, and providing information to both practitioners and consumers of health care services.


7


Role of the Department:Policymaking

• Assist in the Development of Regulations• Approve Regulations in Accordance with

Executive Order• Legislative Liaison to the General Assembly• Implement Policy of the Executive Branch

8


Role of the Department:Enforcement

• Receive complaints against practitioners• Provide investigative and other enforcement services• Report on the nature of cases

• Suspend licenses: felony convictions loss in other states bad checksToll Free Complaint Number 1-800-553-1560

9


Role of the Department:

Financial • Budget• Collects fees• Accounts for and reports all revenue and

expenses• Procure and contract for services

10


Role of the Department:

Administrative

• Provide staff• Comply with Personnel Act• Combine administrative services• Information Technology• Liaison to other state agencies• Other duties assigned by the Governor

11


Specific Duties of the Boards• Examine or cause to be examined applicants• Provide budget input• Publish newsletters• Participate in association of regulatory boards• Propose legislation• Conduct studies• Collect and report information

12


Core Mission of Health Regulatory Boards

• Make Case Decisions

• A board’s judicial capacity. “Determinations that, under law or regulation, a party is in violation or in compliance with requirements for obtaining or retaining a license”.

• Develop Regulations

• Legislative capacity of a board “Any statement of general application having the force of law affecting the rights or conduct of any person.”

13


Additional Core Mission for Agency

Performance Standards Met

from Virginia Performs

14

New Era of Performance Leadership

http://www.vaperforms.virginia.gov


15

DHP Performs

Key performance measures:

– Achieve high (97%) customer satisfaction ratings from individuals applying for licensure

– Process 95 % of applications for licensure within 30 days of receipt of all necessary materials

– Resolve 90% of complaints relating to patient care within 250 days


16

Key Performance Action Summary

• Analyze data to include current status and historical trends

• Identify strategies to move forward in this new era of performance

• Find methods to streamline processes and increase efficiencies

• Implement actions to improve outcomes and focus on patient care cases.


17

18

Virginia ScoresGovernment Performance Project Grades

• Virginia Ranking in 2008 • Money A - • People A • Infrastructure B + • Information A

• Overall A- for performance –top performing rank

19


Current Issues in DHP to Deliver on Mission

• Timely Resolution of Disciplinary Cases

• Performance Measurement

• Transparency of Information

• Technology Innovations & Challenges

• Organizational Creativity

• Shortages

& Data Needs

20


• Questions?• Comments?

Thank You!

Sandra Whitley Ryals, Director

Documents

1 Department of Health Professions Board Training October 22, 2008 Sandra Whitley Ryals, Director