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RICHMOND, VA - Governor Glenn Youngkin yesterday hosted a public event at the Patrick Henry Building to recognize major accomplishments delivered under Executive Order 52, "Strengthening Oversight of Virginia's Nursing Homes," and to honor the state employees whose work rebuilt critical oversight systems serving Virginia's most vulnerable seniors.
The event marks a significant milestone in the Commonwealth's ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability, modernize operations, and increase transparency across Virginia's nearly 300 nursing homes. Following today's event, leaders from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) will begin a statewide media tour to share progress with communities across Virginia about the reforms underway.
Since the signing of Executive Order 52 in August 2025, the Commonwealth has delivered measurable improvements within VDH's Office of Licensure and Certification (OLC), strengthening oversight capacity and modernizing how concerns are received, tracked, and addressed.
"Virginia families deserve confidence that when a loved one lives in a nursing home, they are safe, respected, and cared for with dignity," said Governor Glenn Youngkin. "Today we celebrate real progress. We strengthened staffing, modernized systems that had fallen behind, and increased transparency so families have clearer information and greater trust in oversight and accountability."
"Families place profound trust in our long-term care system, and that trust must be earned," said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet V. Kelly. "These accomplishments reflect the sustained work to rebuild the systems that support oversight and accountability. The changes now in place create a stronger, more reliable foundation for continued improvement."
"The Advisory Board was created to keep residents and families at the center of this work," said Joanna Heiskill, Nursing Home Oversight and Accountability Advisory Board Member. "The voices of nursing facility residents and family members must be a priority in this process toward change."
Accomplishments Highlighted
Rebuilding Oversight Capacity Through Hiring and Effective Leadership
Targeted recruitment, leadership stabilization, and human resources improvements have significantly strengthened oversight capacity within OLC.
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Since July 2025, 2,312 applications have been submitted for OLC positions, including 1,340 for MFI roles and 181 for MFI supervisor positions
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Between July and December 2025, 21 MFI positions were filled, including 15 in long-term care and 6 in acute care
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Overall MFI vacancies declined from 28 in July 2025 to 11 by December 2025, reflecting meaningful progress across long-term care and acute care inspection teams
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Since July 2025 overall, 40 total OLC positions have been filled, including 26 MFIs and 14 additional roles supporting operations, leadership, policy, and finance
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Key leadership positions have been filled, including a new OLC director and long-term care division director, strengthening supervision and accountability
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A Northern Virginia regional office was launched to improve recruitment, retention, and regional responsiveness
These gains were enabled by multi-year improvements to human resources infrastructure, including added recruiter capacity and dedicated human resources leadership. Hiring timelines have improved substantially, with average time to fill positions decreasing from more than 90 days in 2023-2024 to 58 days currently, alongside improved retention and workforce stability.
These efforts also build on bipartisan legislative actions that strengthened funding and enforcement authority for nursing home oversight.
Modernized Complaint Intake and Oversight Operations
VDH has launched a new, public Complaint Portal to improve how concerns are submitted, tracked, and addressed.
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Enables digital submission of complaints from residents, families, staff, and advocates
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Automatically generates reference numbers for complainants
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Streamlines and improves triage, assignment, and tracking of complaints
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Supports data analysis to identify trends by facility type, ownership, and region
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Maintains phone, mail, and in person options
"Protecting the health and safety of nursing home residents is a core responsibility," said State Health Commissioner Karen Shelton, MD. "These reforms strengthen how we carry out that responsibility by improving oversight capacity and ensuring residents and families have clearer access to information and a more reliable way to raise concerns."
"As we rebuilt this office, we focused on fixing the systems and hiring the right leaders and staff to prioritize how concerns are identified and resolved," said R. Christopher Lindsay, Chief Operating Officer of the Virginia Department of Health. "By strengthening staffing and supervision, and modernizing complaint intake, we have built a foundation to ensure that safe and high-quality care is provided in Virginia's nursing homes."
Strengthened Inspection Operations and Transparency
Expanded staffing, new supervisory roles, and regional teams are strengthening OLC's ability to carry out inspections and investigations while building sustainable oversight capacity.
VDH also increased transparency by adding a prominent link on the OLC website directing the public to federal nursing home quality data, including inspection histories, survey results, and facility performance metrics.
Resident-Centered Accountability and Collaboration
Governor Youngkin also established the Nursing Home Oversight and Accountability Advisory Board, bringing together providers, clinicians, advocates, and stakeholders to elevate standards and promote resident-centered care. The Board is expected to release recommendations this month to further inform ongoing improvements.
For more information or to file a complaint, visit: vdh.virginia.gov/licensure-and-certification.
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