Emergency Contact Information Laws and Regulations

Code of Virginia
Department of Health Professions
Chapter 25 of Title 54.1

§ A. The Department is authorized to require individuals applying for initial licensure and individuals who are licensed to practice medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or to practice as a physician assistant, nurse practitioner or dental hygienist, to provide information in addition to that which is required to determine the individual's qualifications to be licensed. Such additional information shall identify the individual's specialty and subspecialty; credentials and certifications issued by professional associations, institutions and boards; and locations of practice and number of hours spent practicing at each practice location. Such information shall be collected and maintained by the Department for manpower planning purposes in cooperation with agencies and institutions of the Commonwealth and shall be released by the Department only in the aggregate without reference to any licensee's name or other individual identifying particulars. Prior to collecting any information described in this section from individual licensees, the Department shall first attempt to obtain from other sources information sufficient for manpower planning purposes.

B. For the purpose of expediting the dissemination of information about a public health emergency, the Department is authorized to require certain licensed, certified or registered persons to report any email address, telephone number and facsimile number that may be used to contact such person in the event of a public health emergency. In the event of an animal health emergency, the Department shall provide to the State Veterinarian the email addresses, telephone numbers and facsimile numbers that may be used to contact licensed veterinarians.

Such email addresses, telephone numbers and facsimile numbers shall not be published, released or made available for any other purpose by the Department or the State Veterinarian.

The Director, in consultation with the Department of Health and the Department of Emergency Management, shall adopt regulations that identify those licensed, certified or registered persons to which the requirement to report shall apply and the procedures for reporting.
(1994, c. 853; 1997, c. 806; 2003, c. 602; 2005, c. 55.)

18 VAC 76-40-10 et seq.
Regulations Governing Emergency Contact Information

Department of Health Professions

Effective Date: November 20, 2014

18VAC76-40-10. Requirement to report.
In accordance with provisions of §54.1-2506.1 of the Code of Virginia, the following persons or entities who hold a license, certificate, registration or permit issued by a board within the Department of Health Professions and whose address of record is in Virginia, a contiguous state or the District of Columbia shall report emergency contact information as required by this chapter:

    1. Assisted living facility administrators;
    2. Athletic trainers;
    3. Licensed massage therapists;
    4. Clinical psychologists;
    5. Clinical social workers;
    6. Dentists;
    7. Dental hygienists;
    8. Funeral service licensees, embalmers and funeral directors;
    9. Licensed acupuncturists;
    10. Licensed practical nurses;
    11. Licensed professional counselors;
    12. Medical equipment suppliers;
    13. Nursing home administrators;
    14. Pharmacists;
    15. Pharmacy technicians;
    16. Physical therapists;
    17. Physician assistants;
    18. Radiologic technologists;
    19. Registered nurses;
    20. Respiratory care practitioners;
    21. Surface transportation and removal service registrants;
    22. Veterinarians; and
    23. Wholesaler distributors of pharmaceuticals.


18VAC76-40-20. Emergency contact information.
A. Upon a request from the department, a person or entity listed in 18VAC76-40-10 shall be required to report the following information for contact in the event of a public health emergency or for dissemination of public health information:

    1. A telephone number at which he may be contacted during weekday business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.);
    2. A telephone number at which he may be contacted during nonbusiness hours (5 p.m. to 8 a.m. weekdays and on weekends or holidays);
    3. A fax number at which he may be sent information concerning the emergency; and
    4. An e-mail address at which he may be sent information concerning the emergency.
B. A person or entity shall only be required to report those fax numbers or e-mail addresses to which he has direct access.
C. Information collected for the purpose of disseminating notification of a public health emergency or public health information or providing information related to serving during a public health emergency shall not be published or made available for any other purpose.


18VAC76-40-30. Time limit for reporting.
A licensee, certificate or permit holder or registrant shall provide the required emergency contact information within a time period specified by the Director of the Department of Health Professions to be no less than 30 days or greater than 90 days from receipt of the request or notification from the department. Whenever there is a change in the information that has been provided, the licensee, certificate or permit holder or registrant shall provide revised information to the department within 30 days.