RD35 - Crossroads Design, Development and Implementation WIC System Status Report


Executive Summary:
The Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Food Programs is a partner with the WIC programs in Alabama, North Carolina, and West Virginia in the Crossroads Consortium. The Consortium is one of three groups working in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to design, develop, and implement State Agency Model management information systems which will be available for transfer to WIC programs in other states and territories.

This report details the project’s progress and is submitted to comply with Item 286 E of the 2010 Appropriation Act (see appendix). Item 286 E requires the Commissioner of the Department of Health to provide written reports annually to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on the progress of the multi-state procurement of a database formally known as the Crossroads Design, Development and Implementation WIC System. The written report must describe the division's efforts to ensure that through system design and procurement, adequate participant access can be achieved without the current use of slotting or other similar vendor limiting criteria and that the new system allows peer groups to be changed to reflect marketplace dynamics and ensures a more equitable vendor comparison. The Division's efforts to coordinate and collaborate with stakeholders must also be included in the report.