The mission of the Department of Health Professions (DHP) is to ensure safe and competent patient care by licensing health professionals, enforcing standards of practice, and providing information to healthcare practitioners and the public. 

Competent professionals providing healthcare services within the boundaries of their standards of practice to an informed public.

• Exceptional Customer Service


• Honesty, Fairness, and Transparency to the Public


• Competence


• Continuous Improvement


• Employee Accountability

The Department of Health Professions licenses, registers, certifies, authorizes, and permits individuals and entities seeking to practice professions and operate facilities regulated by Virginia’s health regulatory boards. The DHP also inspects facilities, investigates, and adjudicates allegations of practitioner misconduct, monitors impaired practitioners, maintains prescription drug data to deter diversion and abuse, conducts relevant policy and workforce research, and provides pertinent information to consumers, policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and the public. Statutory authority is based in Code of Virginia §§ 54.1-100 through 54.1-119 and respective portions of §§54.1-2400 through 54.1-3814.

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s demand for safe and effective healthcare services continues to rise with its growing and aging population and healthcare reform measures aimed at increasing access. The state healthcare system is rapidly responding to efforts to avoid shortages resulting from the inevitable retirement of older practitioners and younger practitioners’ desire for work and home balance. In response, innovative team delivery approaches, new occupations, and practitioner employment status changes are emerging.

Along with increasing needs for access to healthcare, the methods of treatment are constantly evolving. One major evolution in healthcare in Virginia is the allowance of the use of medical cannabis, both botanical and concentrate products, as a treatment option to alleviate symptoms of diseases or diagnoses for qualified patients. The Board of Pharmacy implemented a registration process for physicians to issue written certifications for the use of medical cannabis. As of January 1, 2024, the Board of Pharmacy transitioned oversight of the medical cannabis program to Virginia’s Cannabis Control Authority.

The Department of Health Professions intends to continue to provide exemplary performance related to licensure, regulations, and discipline of licensees. Patient and public health and well-being remain paramount and will continue to be promoted through efficient licensing and regulating of competent healthcare professionals and facilities, taking timely and appropriate disciplinary action in cases of misconduct, and providing relevant information to the public. The agency will continue to implement online licensing applications for all boards, expand online services to capture more transactions electronically, and reduce our use of paper through email notifications and document management of disciplinary cases.

The Department of Health Professions, through the Healthcare Workforce Data Center, continues its efforts to provide objective data and research to guide key relevant health practices and workforce policies. The DHP also endeavors to improve quality healthcare education through the approval and regulation of nursing education and continuing education requirements for healthcare professionals.

Finally, DHP has increased coordination with other agencies on healthcare workforce issues to promote enhanced communication with licensees, the public, and the media. These efforts are designed to raise awareness statewide of the importance of the healthcare sector and the future needs for an expanded healthcare workforce.

The Department of Health Professions continues to evolve based on factors such as an increasing workload, need for improved customer experience, changes in services from Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), and new technologies becoming available for use. We have utilized technologies such as Robotic Processing Automation to help automate time consuming manual tasks and promote operational efficiencies. The Agency is continuing to move to a more digital environment to improve operational efficiencies and the customer experience. VITA services (such as Box a casse digitizing program) are being explored to improve processes. The Enforcement Division began using Box in the absence of a formal Case Management System and the use of the technology is being implemented by the health regulatory boards as well as our Administrative Proceedings Division. Other changes in technology, as well as emerging technologies, are being monitored. Examples of potential future changes in this area include moving our licensing software (MLO) to a newer, cloud-based version and exploring the use of AI to improve operations. The DHP also continues to keep pace with the growing cybersecurity threats since this is a major focus of the Commonwealth. 

The Department of Health Professions continues to attract and retain employees who possess considerable healthcare compliance and regulatory experience and have earned related advanced degrees. The percentage of official/administrator and professional DHP positions is 60% and the percentage of support staff is 40%. The current turnover rate for the Agency is around 10%. The Agency has implemented a Workforce Succession Plan and is currently enacting an action plan to ensure business function continuity in the event of retirement, especially in key positions.

The Agency routinely monitors pay practices, hiring, disciplinary, and grievance actions to ensure our practices support federal/state employment laws, and agency goals and objectives related to sound workforce management. The Department of Health Professions Salary Administration Plan includes exceptional recruitment and retention options. The Agency is actively making efforts to diversify the overall employee population. Approximately 15% of DHP employees participate in an alternative work schedule and 90% are eligible to telecommute. Our investigative staff, who largely make up the Enforcement Division, are considered mobile workers.

In addition to the need to assess agency resources based on retirement risks, DHP management continues to review its organizational structure to ensure that appropriate resources are assigned to core activities.

The Agency leases non-state space at an annual cost of approximately $1.9 million which includes 71,847 square feet of office space and 2,722 square feet of storage space. Additionally, an upgrade to audio-visual and teleconferencing systems was purchased and installed to optimize existing infrastructure use. 

Increasing Costs:

The Department of Health Professions receives no support from the General Fund; cost increases are absorbed entirely from licensure and renewal fees. The biggest cost-drivers are complaints against licensees and information technology services from VITA,

Complaints have increased 8.8% from the last biennium, and is likely to continue as demand for healthcare services increases, particularly as the population ages and the full effects of healthcare reform legislation begin to manifest.

To keep pace with societal changes and to minimize the need for additional program staff, additional resources may need to be devoted to Information Technology, including expanding online renewals, expanding agency electronic records management, and standardizing Agency processes.

Occupations with Few Licensees:

Some regulated occupations (Long Term Care Administrators, Funeral Service Providers, Optometrists) lack a sufficient number of regulants to cover their regulatory costs. This is placing a strain on individual boards' cash resources.

Changing Face of Healthcare:

Healthcare reform is expected to bring significant changes to the nation’s healthcare system. Some of this will involve new professions, scopes of practice, and alternative approaches to patient care. These could have significant impacts on the licensure and regulation of health professionals.

Agency Workforce Succession Planning:

The Department of Health Professions has implemented an Agency Workforce Succession Plan, evaluating the Agency's current workforce, along with current and future needs. Current risk factors for the Agency include:

• Limited diversity in leadership positions


• Heavy reliance on wage & temporary contract staff

As a result, the Agency has enacted Action Plans to include developing a lead-the-market compensation strategy, providing job enhancement opportunities, increasing diversity of executive/professional staff, and continually assessing agency MEL to combat our heavy reliance on the use if temporary contract staff and wage employees. Each year, the Agency will re-evaluate its Succession Plan and any related Action Plans, to ensure continuity of Agency business functions.

The Department of Health Professions is a self-supporting, fee-based agency. For the 2022–2024 biennium, total revenues were approximately $91.4 million, generated by:

• Licensure and renewal fees (92.0%);


• Penalty and late fees (2.9%);


• Federal legal settlements (2.2%);


• All other (2.9%)

The agency expended $95.6 million in the 2022-2024 biennium, devoting approximately 45% to licensing health professionals, disciplinary staff and DHP programs, 32% to the investigation and adjudication of complaints against healthcare providers, and the remaining 23% is for information technology services and the agency’s other centralized services, including legislative and regulatory activities.

The agency’s 2022-2024 biennium major expenditure categories are as follows:

• Employee salaries, wages, and fringe benefits (71.3%);


• Contractual services (11.8%);


• Information technology (11.3%);


• Operating lease payments (4.1%), and


• All other (1.5%);

The Department of Health Professions receives no support from the General Fund; cost increases are absorbed entirely from licensure and renewal fees.  The biggest cost-drivers are significant increases in the numbers of licensees in certain boards, complaints against licensees, information technology services, and employee salaries and benefits to support the 13 health regulatory boards.

For the 2022-2024 biennium, total revenues were approximately $91.4 million, generated by:

• Licensure and renewal fees (92.0%);


• Penalty and late fees (2.9%);


• Federal legal settlements (2.2%);


• All other (2.9%)

The primary mission of the Department of Health Professions is to ensure a competent healthcare provider workforce through efficient licensure processing and enforcing standards of professional care and conduct. The following key statistics provide insight into the scope of that work:

As with virtually all states, demand for healthcare services is expected to increase for the foreseeable future as the population increases. Although shortages are already experienced in some areas of the state, future projections indicate that the number and geographical distribution of healthcare professionals may be insufficient to cope with the increasing demand for healthcare services, especially in a growing and aging population. In addition, the systems of healthcare delivery are expected to develop new and innovative treatments that will also increase demand. It is likewise expected that this increased demand will result in increased numbers of applicants, licensees, and disciplinary cases as well as more emerging healthcare professions.

The current customer list identifies both the number of customers currently served annually as well as potential customers served. For the first three pre-defined groups, the number served annually reflects the number reported at the end of Fiscal Year 2024. It is worth noting that the number of applicants and health professionals dropped since the last biennium due to the Board of Pharmacy transitioning oversight of the medical cannabis program to Virginia’s Cannabis Control Authority during the 23-24 biennium. As a result, over 37,000 applicants and 23,000 health professionals reflected in the 22-24 strategic plan are no longer part of the agency’s customers. Nevertheless, because other boards experienced increases in the number of applicants and health professionals served, we expect these customers to continue to grow. Consequently, the potential number of annual customers was calculated using the rate of increase in applicants and health professionals excluding pharmaceutical processing, resulting in a projected increase of 10% applicants and 5% health professionals. As our consumers become more technologically savvy, we expect the number of parties seeking practitioner information to continue to grow, particularly those seeking information through electronic means. Finally, the number of scholarship recipients is expected to be stable, as this was already a 61% increase over the number of recipients in FY 22. The Mary Marshall scholarship is typically by fees from the licensing of registered nurses and practical nurses through the Board of Nursing.

The Department of Health Professions provides administrative, communication, policy, technological, and research support for the 13 health regulatory boards. Information on practitioners, licensure requirements, practice standards, healthcare workforce, emerging professions, agency operations, and more is made available to the public and stakeholders. Additionally, DHP funds nursing student financial assistance to support healthcare practice in underserved areas of the state and approves and regulates education and training programs for the Boards of Nursing and Pharmacy.

The Department of Health Professions issues nearly 150 types of licenses, certifications, registrations, and permits to over 60 health professions and facilities. At the end of FY24, there were 494,793 regulants. Although down 5% over the 2023-24 biennium because of the shift in the medical cannabis program to Virginia Cannabis Control Authority, it was still a 15% increase over the 2018-2020 biennium. Excluding regulants from the medical cannabis program, the number of other regulants grew by 10% since the previous biennium.

The number of disciplinary cases received has increased 3.0% from FY23 to FY24, (7,901 in FY23 to 8,150 in FY24), but rose 11.8% over the last biennium. In a testament to the agency’s efforts to reduce the time for processing disciplinary cases, the average age (in days) of closed disciplinary cases has declined by 11.6% from FY23 to FY24 (282.2 in FY23 to 249.2 days in FY2024). Thus, the age of closed cases remains significantly lower than the benchmark of 415 days (one business year).

The Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) is a confidential statewide electronic database containing information on dispensed Schedule II-V prescriptions, naloxone, and medical cannabis. The primary purpose of the PMP is to promote safe prescribing and dispensing of covered substances by providing timely and essential information to healthcare providers. Integration of the PMP into the electronic health record and pharmacy dispensing system workflow has resulted in a marked increase in overall database utilization. The first integration, a pharmacy chain, was completed in 2015 and uptake of integration accelerated in the years following. At the end of FY24, over 70% of controlled substance prescribers accessed the PMP via their clinical workflow. In FY24, there were over 67.2 million requests for a patient's prescription history. Data collected by PMP may also be disclosed to law enforcement and/or the Department of Health Professions Enforcement Division pursuant to an open case investigation.

The Department of Health Professions also includes the Health Practitioner Monitoring Program (HPMP) and the Healthcare Workforce Data Center (HWDC). The HPMP oversees the safe return to practice of healthcare practitioners impaired by substance misuse, mental health, or physical disability. The HWDC collects and reports supply-side healthcare workforce availability data on 62 professions.

The Department of Health Professions services are affected by several forces, chief among these are:

• Federal and state legislative mandates and requests regarding requirements for regulating practitioners and facilities, the use and scope of the Prescription Monitoring Program, and policy analysis involving healthcare practice and workforce needs;


• The number of individuals and facilities who apply for licensure, registration, or certification in a covered healthcare profession;


• The number of individuals and facilities who renew their licenses each year;


• The number of new professions designated by the General Assembly as requiring licensure and regulation;


• The number and nature of reports and complaints alleging misconduct by a regulated individual or facility;


• The demand for information from the general public, employers, and insurers;


• Regulations adopted by health regulatory boards affecting the practice of their respective licensees and their scope of practice;


• Increasing demand and associated costs for technology; and


• Disease outbreaks and pandemics such as the Coronavirus Pandemic

As Virginia’s population continues to grow and age, and healthcare reform increases access to care, the demand for safe and effective healthcare and related information is expected to keep growing.

The Agency’s Key Performance Measures are calculated quarterly and utilized to gauge and monitor performance in relation to the Agency’s mission. The safety, health, and well-being of the general public are promoted by the prompt processing of qualified applications for initial licensure and the timely investigation and adjudication of individual and facility misconduct in relation to patient care. The Agency also provides information to healthcare practitioners and prescribers through the Prescription Monitoring Program, which assists in deterring the illegitimate use of prescription drugs and serves as a patient screening tool.

Licensure efficiency is assessed through the percent of initial licenses processed within 30 days of receiving a complete application. This measure has remained consistently high, maintaining well above the goal of 97%. Since licensing efficient is already high, the measure will remain stable.

Disciplinary efficiency is assessed through the percent of patient care cases closed within 415 business days, and the percent of patient care cases that have been open for longer than a business work year (415 days). The percent of patient care cases pending over one business work year has consistently remained below the goal of 20%. Over FY24, the percent of cases closed within a business work year was 8% above the agency’s goal of 90%.

The ratio of Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) requests to prescriptions reported is measured by ratio of the number of requests to PMP for a patient's prescription history to the total number of prescriptions reported during the same time period. This key performance measure is expected to increase as healthcare providers utilize the database to identify those seeking medications for illegitimate purposes.

The Department of Health Professions issues and renews licenses, registrations, certifications, and permits to healthcare practitioners that meet qualifications established by law and regulation.

Each health regulatory board is authorized under state law to enforce the laws and regulations.

• Use periodic audits to ensure healthcare practitioners meet the guidelines.

Investigating and adjudicating reports of professional misconduct and enforcing standard of care regulations authorized in governing statutes through disciplinary actions and agreements.

Establish and uphold standards for the delivery of healthcare services through the promulgation of regulations.

• Complete regular reviews of regulations.

• Stay abreast of other states’ regulations to determine if the health regulatory boards’ regulations need adjustment

Practitioners who meet certain criteria may receive approval for a stay of disciplinary action by entering the program. This may facilitate safe return to practice.

• Ensure Health Practitioners’ Monitoring Program policies are aligned with best practices.

• Educate stakeholders to ensure knowledge of the Health Practitioners’ Monitoring Program opportunities.

The Department of Health Professions' Enforcement Division receives and investigates complaints of misconduct by licensees and regulated facilities. Based on the Administrative Process Act, an administrative proceeding may commence if the board finds there is sufficient evidence to indicate a violation has occurred.

• Monitor data related to investigations to aid in developing appropriate regulations.

Collect and analyze healthcare workforce data pertaining to licensure, regulation, and the disciplinary processes and effectively communicate to licensees and stakeholders.

Collection and analysis of data is performed by the Department of Health Professions Healthcare Workforce Data Center. The Department is responsible for developing and implementing informational surveys concerning the Virginia's healthcare workforce.

• Collection of healthcare workforce data by the Department of Health Professions' Healthcare Workforce Data Center through survey deployment to obtain information about key workforce-related factors including demographics, education, practice and patient characteristics, and future plans among the healthcare workforce upon licensure renewal.

Make available information relevant to healthcare practice in Virginia.

• Provide timely information via the websites for the Agency, health regulatory boards, Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), Health Practitioners' Monitoring Program (HPMP), and Healthcare Workforce Data Center (HWDC).

• Represent Virginia boards at regional and national regulatory and professional association meetings.

• Provide information for consumers about healthcare practitioners on the Department of Health Professions' website through "License Lookup", "Doctor's Profile", "Oral and Maxillofacial Profiles", and "Case Decisions".

• Provide statistical data regarding disciplinary action taken against licensees of respective health regulatory boards to national entities.

• Provide information via the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) to licensees of health regulatory boards to serve as an early warning system for practitioners in the fight against prescription drug abuse, specifically opioid abuse, among their patients.

Promote quality nursing, nurse aide, and medication aide programs and facilitate competency of all Department of Health Professions' licensees to support the health and well-being of the population.

The Board of Nursing approves and regulates professional and practical nursing education programs that meet the qualifications established by law and regulation.

• Continually review regulations to ensure they are current.

The Board of Nursing approves and regulates nurse aide and medication aide education programs that meet the qualifications established by law and regulation.

• Continually review regulations to ensure they are current.

The 13 health regulatory boards have defined authority to regulate continuing education courses and programs.

• The 13 health regulatory boards approve course, programs, sponsors, and providers through regulations or guidance documents pursuant to the specific board’s authority.

Integrate technology with business processes, promote an effective and knowledgeable DHP' workforce, and maintain a culture of preparedness to provide services in the most effective and efficient manner possible.

Strengthen agency-wide improvement efforts to licensure and disciplinary processes through technological and procedural advancements.

• Develop and utilize best practices thorough collaboration, workgroups, and targeted teams.

• Maintain and strengthen internal communication channels using the Intranet, agency-wide training, and project updates.


• Complete digitalization of Agency records and standardization of internal and external forms.


• Continue developing technological innovations, such as Robotic Process Automation, to increase efficiency.

Ensure all employees are aware of the Continuity of Operations Plan.

• Review and revise the Continuity of Operations and the Occupant Emergency Response Plan as needed following drills and actual continuity and emergency events.

• Provide training on the Continuity of Operations and the Occupant Emergency Response Plans.

Encourage timely reviews of licensing processes by the 13 health regulatory boards.

• Expand of the online application processes.

• Coordinate technological advances with business processes.

• Review internal processes for efficiency.

• Review regulation requirements that impact time from application to licensure and promulgate regulations for professions to obtain licensure by endorsement

Provide training opportunities and encourage attendance.

• Provide agency-wide training to board members and employees to include updates on policies, procedures, laws, regulations, and professional development.

• Provide a variety of resources for self-directed learning.

In 1991, the General Assembly created the Mary Marshall Nursing Scholarship and Loan Repayment Fund. The scholarship is funded by a $1.00 fee from the licensure of every licensed practical and registered nurse. The purpose of the fund is to offer a scholarship option for part-time and full-time students enrolled in or accepted for enrollment by a licensed practical or registered nursing program. The program is administered jointly by the Department of Health Professions (DHP) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). The DHP collects the money and deposits into the Scholarship Fund. The VDH determines the recipients and sends to DHP the recipient names and their nursing program information to distribute the awards to the appropriate institution according to the list provided. Any balances left in the fund at year-end automatically carry forward to the next fiscal year.

Although this service area is fiscally modest, it is an integral part of the Agency’s mission, especially in the nursing field.

Providing scholarships to nursing students through the Nursing Scholarship and Loan Repayment Fund.

All funding for this service area is derived from a legislatively mandated surcharge on renewal fees for licensed practical and registered nurses.

Virginia’s 13 health regulatory boards are responsible for the licensing, regulating, disciplining healthcare practitioners. Some boards have additional responsibilities, including regulating education programs and facilities. The Department of Health Professions’ employees support the boards in their activities. The Governor appointed board members have the ultimate authority to promulgate regulations and make case decisions.

Licensure or certification in each profession typically requires the completion of a board-approved professional education program and the passage of an approved examination in the applicant’s chosen professional field. At the end of the 2023-2024 biennium, the 13 health regulatory boards regulated more than 490,000 health professionals, facilities, and other designated entities. Although the transition of the medical cannabis program away from the agency resulted in a 5% decline in total regulants, the number of regulants in other categories grew by 10% in the biennium, a 35% increase over the last ten years.

A vital part of the Agency's mission is the investigation and adjudication of complaints and allegations of misconduct against licensees. During the 2023-2024 biennium, the Agency received close to 16,000 disciplinary cases.

The health regulatory boards are also responsible for promulgating the regulations governing the professions authorized by statute. These regulations establish initial licensure requirements, set fee rates and renewal requirements, and establish standards for practice.

The Board of Health Professions (BHP) was created in 1977 to assist the health regulatory boards develop guidelines governing healthcare professionals in Virginia. The BHP may advise the Department of Health Professions Director, General Assembly, and the Governor on matters related to the regulation of healthcare professions. The BHP is comprised of 18 members, one from each of the 13 health regulatory boards, and five citizens (consumers), all appointed by the Governor.

The primary activities included in the Agency's service area are:

• Licensing applicants who meet defined standards as determined by law and regulation


• Issuing licenses or permits to specified health related facilities that are following applicable laws and regulations, and inspecting to verify continued compliance


• Ensuring occupational competency by monitoring and enforcing continuing education or experience requirements, as required by law and/or regulation


• Enforcing compliance with legal policies and assuring professional accountability through diligent investigation of complaints, application of established standards, and objective disciplinary decisions


• Studying, evaluating and recommending the appropriate type and degree of regulation for health professions and occupations

Technical Assistance to Regulatory Boards Service Area supports the core mission of the Agency.

• Licensing, certifying, registering, and permitting individuals and entities that meet requirements to practice healthcare professions in Virginia


• Enforcing laws and regulations governing healthcare delivery


• Investigating and adjudicating reports and complaints against healthcare providers


• Reviewing, developing, and proposing regulations and legislation promoting the safe delivery of healthcare


• Approving educational programs that satisfy requirements for initial and ongoing licensure, certification, and registration


• Providing consumer information about healthcare providers, requirements, and standards


• Providing administrative services in support of the 13 health regulatory boards, the Agency’s mission, and its programs


• Collecting data and providing information through the Prescription Monitoring Program secure database to deter the misuse, abuse, and diversion of controlled substances


• Collecting and providing information relative to healthcare workforce through the Department of Health Professions Healthcare Workforce Data Center


• Monitoring impaired healthcare providers through the Health Practitioners’ Monitoring Program

The Department of Health Professions is a self-supporting, fee-based agency. For the 2022–2024 biennium, total revenues were approximately $91.4 million in this service area, generated by:

• Licensure and renewal fees (92.0%);


• Penalty and late fees (2.9%);


• Federal legal settlements (2.2%);


• All other (2.9%)

The agency expended $95.5 million in the 2022-2024 biennium in this service area, devoting approximately 45% to licensing health professionals, disciplinary staff and DHP programs, 32% to the investigation and adjudication of complaints against healthcare providers, and the remaining 23% is for information technology services and the agency’s other centralized services, including legislative and regulatory activities.

The agency’s 2022-2024 biennium major expenditure categories in this service area are as follows:

• Employee salaries, wages, and fringe benefits (71.4%);


• Contractual services (11.8%);


• Information technology (11.3%);


• Operating lease payments (4.1%), and


• All other (1.4%);

The Department of Health Professions receives no support from the General Fund; cost increases are absorbed entirely from licensure and renewal fees. The biggest cost-drivers are significant increases in the numbers of licensees in certain boards, complaints against licensees, information technology services, and employee salaries and benefits to support the 13 health regulatory boards.