An eighteen member board with representatives from each of the 13 health regulatory boards and five citizen members from across the state. One of the chief responsibilities of the board is to advise the Department of Health Professions Director, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Governor, and the General Assembly on matters relating to the regulation of health care providers.
Perimeter Center, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Henrico Virginia 23233-1463
Phone: (804) 597-4216
Fax: (804) 977-1955
E-mail: bhp@dhp.virginia.gov
A full listing of its powers and duties is provided in §54.1-2410 of the Code of Virginia.
Among these are its duty to evaluate and make recommendations concerning the need for and determination of the appropriate level of regulation of currently regulated or unregulated health care professions and occupations.
It is also obligated, on a periodic basis, to evaluate the investigatory, disciplinary, and enforcement processes of the Dept. of Health Professions and the individual health regulatory boards.
Other duties also include serving as a means of citizen access to the Department and commenting on the Department's budget.
No, it does not license, certify, or register individuals the way that health regulatory boards do. However, §54.1-2710 of the Code of Virginia provides that the Board determine the required education, training and experience that someone must have to hold himself out to the public as a Dietitian or Nutritionist. Dialysis Care Technicians (or Dialysis Patient Care Technicians) also have title protection; §54.1-2729.3 of the Code of Virginia provides that no one may hold himself out to the public as a Dialysis Care Technician or Dialysis Patient Care Technician without first obtaining certification from an organization approved by the Board. Further the Virginia Drug Control Act requires certification or trainee status for technicians to administer certain medications used in dialysis (ref. §§54.1-3401 & 3408).
For the laws and regulations pertaining to Dietitians and Nutritionists or Dialysis (Patient) Care Technicians (including Drug Laws for Practitioners), go to the Board's Laws and Regulations website. This website also provides links to the approved credentialing organizations for Dialysis (Patient) Care Technicians.
The Board has the authority for determining compliance with and violations of and granting exceptions to the prohibitions of the Practitioner Self-Referral Act (see §54.1-2410 et seq, of the Code of Virginia). Any violation of the Act by a practitioner regulated by a health regulatory board constitutes grounds for disciplinary action by the respective health regulatory board. For entities other than practitioners, the Board of Health Professions shall take appropriate legal actions as set forth in §54.1-2412 of the Code of Virginia.
Board of Health Professions, Email: bhp@dhp.virginia.gov
Leslie L. Knachel, Executive Director