Emergency Contact Information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

See also - Frequently Asked Questions on Renewals

1. Question: Why do I have to do this?
Answer: It is required by law to enable the Department of Health to respond to a public health emergency.

2. Question: Is this required by law?
Answer: Yes, § 54.1-2506.1 of the Code of Virginia, [House Bill No. 2182] Approved March 18, 2003; and Regulation 18 VAC 76-40-10 et seq. Regulations Governing Emergency Contact Information Department of Health Professions. To view the law and regulations click here.

3. Question: What happens if I don’t do this?
Answer: Regulations require that you provide the information 30 days from the request and that you update your information within thirty days of a change. In some cases it may be viewed as a violation of law governing the practice and could result in a sanction by court or health regulatory board.

4. Question: Who is required to report this information?
Answer:

  1. Assisted living facility administrators
  2. Athletic trainers
  3. Clinical psychologists
  4. Clinical social workers
  5. Dentists
  6. Dental hygienists
  7. Funeral service licensees, embalmers and funeral directors
  8. Licensed acupuncturists
  9. Licensed massage therapists
  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
  23. Wholesaler distributors of pharmaceuticals
  24. MDs, DOs, and DPMs report ECI under another statute

5. Question: Does everyone have to do this?
Answer: No. Only those professions identified in regulations promulgated by the Department of Health Professions in consultation with the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Emergency Services are required to
provide ECI.

6. Question: What is the deadline?
Answer: Regulations require that you provide the information within thirty days of the request.

7. Question: How do I do this?
Answer: Follow the directions outlined in the letter you received from the agency.

8. Question: What do I do if I misplaced my letter?
Answer: You will need to request a new PIN. We will re-send your letter in 5-7 business days.

9. Question: What do I do if I don’t remember my password?
Answer: Return to www.license.dhp.virginia.gov and click on Forgot Password, then enter the license number (some people hold more than one license number with the Department of Health Professions. Any one of their license numbers will work). The question you previously provided will be displayed and you then need to enter the answer you previously provided to your question. You then can create a new password.

If you cannot answer your question correctly you should return to the New User page and register again using your license number and PIN which were provided to you in the initial letter.

10. Question: Do I have to do this more than once if I hold more than one
license?
Answer: No.

11. Question: How will this information be used? Is it releasable to the public?
Will it be shared with anyone?
Answer: By law, the collected ECI may only be used to contact Health professionals in the event of a public health emergency and may not be published, released, or made available for any other purpose. For example, if there was a sudden outbreak of a highly communicable disease, you may be alerted of that event and suggested response.

12. Question: My temporary PIN is not working, what should I do?
Answer: Check to be sure that you have entered your temporary PIN correctly, paying particular attention to upper and lower case characters, the number 1 and lower case letter l, and letter S and number 5. Note that number zero has a slash through it and lower and upper case letter O does not. Also make sure you are on the Registration Page, not the Login page.

13. Question: What constitutes a “public health emergency?”
Answer: When the Commissioner of the Department of Health declares a “public health emergency.”

14. Question: What if I don’t want to volunteer?
Answer: Volunteering is optional. Providing the information is not.

15. Question: Who do I contact for technical assistance?
Answer: The Department of Health Professions Call Center is available
to assist you at 804-367-4444, Monday through Friday, between 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, or email us at CallCenter@dhp.virginia.gov

Virginia Department of Health Professions