Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions

Preferred Citation

Minutes of the Virginia Board of Health Professions, [cite specific dates and accession used]. State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Accession 54011 was transferred by the Dept. of Health Professions on 10/23/2023.

Processing Information

This collection has been processed using minimal processing standards: the original arrangement has been maintained, the container list is brief and simple, and the records have not been refoldered and fasteners have not been removed. Electronic records are in original order with original file names.

Historical Information

Regulation of the health professions began late in the nineteenth century. On January 31, 1884, the General Assembly passed an act creating the Board of Medical Examiners to certify physicians for practice in Virginia. Two years later, acts establishing the Board of Dental Examiners (now the Board of Dentistry) and the Board of Pharmacy were passed by the General Assembly on February 26 and March 3, 1886, respectively. The Board of Embalmers (now the Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers) was created by an act passed on March 5, 1894, and the Board of Veterinary Examiners (now the Board of Veterinary Medicine) was established by an act passed on February 27, 1896. On May 1, 1903, the General Assembly created the Board of Graduate Nurses (now the State Board of Nursing), and on March 11, 1916, the Board of Optometry was established by legislative action.

The Dept. of Health Regulatory Boards was created by an act passed by the General Assembly on March 31, 1977, to provide administrative services to the health regulatory boards of the state. The boards continue to regulate their professions through the examination, licensing, and disciplining of the practitioners of health science. In 1986, the Dept. of Health Regulatory Boards became the Dept. of Health Professions. Its mission is to enhance the delivery of safe and competent health care by licensing qualified health care professionals, enforcing standards of practice, and providing information to both practitioners and consumers of health care services.

The Commission on Health Regulatory Boards, advisory body to the Dept. of Health Regulatory Boards, was created by act of the General Assembly in 1977, changed name to the Council on Health Regulatory Boards in 1986, and again changed name to the Board of Health Professions when the department changed name in 1988. The responsibilities of the Board of Health Professions are to evaluate the need for coordination among the health regulatory boards; to evaluate all health care professions and occupations in the Commonwealth to consider whether each profession or occupation should be regulated and the degree of regulation to be imposed; to review and comment on the budget of the department; to provide a means of citizen access to the department; to provide a means of publicizing policies and programs; to monitor policies and activities of the department; and to promote the development of standards to evaluate the competency of the professions and occupations.

Scope and Content

Minutes, 2015-2021, documenting the meetings, activities, discussions, policy decisions and recommendations of the Virginia Board of Health Professions. Includes minutes and agendas for formal board meetings, as well as for formal hearings, informal hearings, telephone conference calls, public hearings, and for committees and and other group meetings (Education, Enforcement, Executive, Nominating, Regulatory Research). Records may include correspondence, legislation, regulations, and reports.

Additional Note

Must make arrangements prior to arrival to view electronic records.

Additional Note

These records are part of the Virginia Dept. of Health Professions record group (RG# 37)