RD320 - Virginia Health Information (VHI) 2016 Annual Report and Strategic Plan Update


Executive Summary:
For more than 20 years Virginia has embraced healthcare transparency to help businesses and consumers make more informed healthcare decisions as well as to improve health. It was in 1996 that House Bill 1307 was signed into Chapter 7.2, Healthcare Data Reporting of the Virginia Code. Through this legislation the Commissioner of Health is directed to contract with a nonprofit health data organization to develop and implement health data projects that provide useful information to consumers and purchasers of healthcare, to providers including health plans, to hospitals and to nursing facilities and physicians. In implementing § 32.1-276.4(A) of the Code of Virginia, the Commissioner contracts with Virginia Health Information (VHI) to serve as the health data organization that provides these services.

An important part of the law was the establishment of a Board of Directors focusing on the needs of the public for actionable health information while providing valuable insights from healthcare stakeholders. VHI’s accountability to the Commonwealth is further ensured by Section § 32.1-276.4(B)(5). This section requires the VHI Board to submit annual reports to the Board of Health, the Governor and the General Assembly. Also required is a certified audit and information on the accomplishments, priorities and current and planned activities of Virginia Health Information.

Also, within the law, Section § 32.1-276.4(B)(6) requires the Board of Directors of the nonprofit data organization (i.e., the VHI Board) to submit, as appropriate, strategic plans to the Board of Health, the Governor and the General Assembly. As required, the strategic plan shall:

• Recommend specific data projects to be undertaken and specify the data elements that will be required from healthcare providers

• Incorporate similar activities of other public and private entities to maximize the quality of data projects and to minimize the cost and duplication of data projects

• Evaluate the continued need for and efficacy of current data initiatives and

• Include the use of patient level data for public health purposes.

VHI’s Board of Directors is pleased to provide this, its 2016 Annual Report and Strategic Plan Update.