Dr. Shelton and other Virginia Department of Health (VDH) officials briefed the subcommittee on agency progress addressing a JLARC review, drinking‑water incidents in Richmond and Henrico, and the state of nursing‑home oversight.

“Despite these challenges, the great work of public health has continued throughout the Commonwealth,” Dr. Shelton said, noting VDH’s hiring progress and operational changes to address JLARC recommendations.

Key takeaways

- JLARC recommendations and agency response: The November JLARC report identified 31 recommendations focused on financial, operational and infrastructure controls at VDH. The agency told the subcommittee it has hired leadership and rebuilt HR and internal audit capacity, created an office of grants administration and instituted monthly operating reviews.

- Drinking water and Office of Drinking Water funding: VDH described the recent multi‑day water incident in Richmond and surrounding localities; the department requested $1.8 million to add staff (engineers, technical specialists and emergency planners) to increase state oversight of drinking‑water systems and improve response capacity.

- Nursing‑home inspections and intermediate sanctions: VDH reported rising complaints (a 69% increase) and immediate jeopardy findings; licensing fees for nursing‑home and hospital inspection authority date to 1979 and do not cover inspection costs. VDH requested statutory language and funding for intermediate sanctions (less than license revocation) and additional inspection staffing to improve oversight and timeliness.

- Other items: VDH highlighted ongoing electronic health‑record pilots (ARPA funds) to replace paper records in local health departments and requested $500,000 for sustainment; the department also described requests for perinatal hub funding and continued community health worker support.

Why it matters: JLARC’s findings and recent water events have prompted budget and statutory requests intended to shore up VDH’s capacity for oversight, licensing, grant administration and emergency response. VDH framed the requests as essential to restore and sustain core public‑health functions.