Source: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/commissioner/administration/freedom-of-information-act/
Timestamp: 2019-07-21 11:22:28
Document Index: 55159507

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 32', '§ 2', '§ 32', '§ 2', '§ 32', '§ 2', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 2', '§ 2']

Freedom of Information Act – Commissioner
Virginia Department of Health > Commissioner > Freedom of Information Act
Download a PDF of VDH’s FOIA Policy
Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council – Guidelines for Allowable Charges for Record Production
Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council Web Site
The Rights of Requesters and the Responsibilities of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act
Making a Request for records from VDH
Your request must ask for existing records or documents. FOIA gives you a right to inspect or copy records; it does not apply to a situation where you are asking general questions about the work of VDH, nor does it require VDH to create a record that does not exist.
You may choose to receive electronic records in any format used by VDH in the regular course of business.
If we have questions about your request, please cooperate with staff’s efforts to clarify the type of records that you are seeking, or to attempt to reach a reasonable agreement about a response to a large request. Making a FOIA request is not an adversarial process, but we may need to discuss your request with you to ensure that we understand what records you are seeking. To request records from VDH, you may direct your request to Joseph Hilbert, VDH FOIA Officer. He can be reached at 109 Governor Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219; (804) 864-7006 [phone]; (804) 864-7022 [fax]; questions@vdh.virginia.gov. You may also contact him with questions you have concerning requesting records from VDH. In addition, the Freedom of Information Advisory Council is available to answer any questions you may have about FOIA. The Council may be contacted by e-mail at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov, or by phone at (804) 225-3056 or [toll free] 1-866-448-4100.
VDH’s Responsibilities in Responding to Your Request
VDH must respond to your request within five working days of receiving it. “Day One” is considered the day after your request is received. The five-day period does not include weekends or holidays.
The reason behind your request for public records from VDH is irrelevant, and we cannot ask you why you want the records before we respond to your request. FOIA does, however, allow VDH to ask you to provide your name and legal address.
FOIA requires that VDH make one of the following responses to your request within the five-day time period:
If it is practically impossible for VDH to respond to your request within the five-day period, we must state this in writing, explaining the conditions that make the response impossible. This will allow us seven additional working days to respond to your request, giving us a total of 12 working days to respond to your request.
You may have to pay for the records that you request from VDH. FOIA allows us to charge for the actual costs of responding to FOIA requests. This would include items like staff time spent searching for the requested records, copying costs, or any other costs directly related to supplying the requested records. It cannot include general overhead costs.
If you owe us money from a previous FOIA request that has remained unpaid for more than 30 days, VDH may require payment of the past-due bill before it will respond to your new FOIA request.
The Code of Virginia allows any public body to withhold certain records from public disclosure. VDH commonly withholds records subject to the following exemptions:
Personnel records (§ 2.2-3705.1 (1) of the Code of Virginia);
Records subject to attorney-client privilege (§ 2.2-3705.1 (2)) or attorney work product (§ 2.2-3705.1 (3));
Vendor proprietary information (§ 2.2-3705.1 (6));
Records relating to the negotiation and award of a contract, prior to a contract being awarded (§ 2.2-3705.1 (12));
Medical and mental records (§ 2.2-3705.5(1) of the Code of Virginia);
Information and records collected for the designation and verification of trauma centers and other specialty care centers within the Statewide Emergency Medical Services System and Services pursuant to Article 2.1 (§ 32.1-111.1 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 32.1. (§ 2.2-3705.5(5) of the Code of Virginia);
Data formerly required to be submitted to the Commissioner of Health relating to the establishment of new or the expansion of existing clinical health services, acquisition of major medical equipment, or certain projects requiring capital expenditures pursuant to former § 32.1-102.3:4. (§ 2.2-3705.5(7) of the Code of Virginia);
Any record copied, recorded or received by the Commissioner of Health in the course of an examination, investigation or review of a managed care health insurance plan licensee pursuant to §§ 32.1-137.4 and 32.1-137.5, including books, records, files, accounts, papers, documents, and any or all computer or other recordings.(§ 2.2-3705.5(13) of the Code of Virginia);
Patient level data collected by the Board of Health and not yet processed, verified, and released, pursuant to § 32.1-276.9, to the Board by the nonprofit organization with which the Commissioner of Health has contracted pursuant to § 32.1-276.4.(§ 2.2-3705.5(10) of the Code of Virginia); and
Plans and information to prevent or respond to terrorist activity.(§ 2.2- 3705.2(4) of the Code of Virginia).