PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A new report is outlining and uncovering serious problems at Virginia's Department of Health.
The report done by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) points out the department's financial troubles and high turnover. JLARC said most issues began after the COVID-19 pandemic.
JLARC Chief Legislative Analyst Drew Dickinson didn't set a timeline for improvement but said the agency's financial troubles were building for years.
Every year, JLARC conducts research for the Virginia House and Senate, highlighting key issues. Dickinson noted the last audit of Virginia's Health Department was 20 years ago.
"They were interested in understanding the Virginia Department of Health, and particularly the management side of things,” Dickinson said.
The Virginia Department of Health caught the attention of state and local leaders after an investigation found the agency operating with a $33 million deficit. The audit also uncovered $4 million in what JLARC said was fraudulent spending with the office of emergency medical services.
The report also highlights serous challenges in VDH’s leadership, staffing, and hiring. It found many qualified candidates walked away due to lengthy hiring delays, leading to unfilled vacancies.
"Estimated 490 qualified applicants removed their applications simply because of delays in the hiring process,” said Dickinson.
Despite these setbacks, Dickinson said the VDH is committed to working with state and local leaders to resolve these issues. JLARC listed 30 recommendations to help the department rebuild and recover.
"In terms of the highest priorities at this point, staffing for the financial management is critical, making sure they've got good leadership and staff in those offices," said Dickson.
Which is when he is optimistic of what the future may bring for VDH.
"As long as there is sustained attention on addressing these issues and setting the agency up for success,” said Dickinson.
13News Now reached out to the Virginia Department of Health, and received this statement from state health commissioner Karen Shelton:
“The challenges raised in this report were created across multiple years and they will take multiple years to fully correct.
"While my leadership team and I did not create these challenges, we are fulling committed to solving them by putting in place the appropriate financial and operational controls and hiring the right leaders to drive change in the agency.
"We have been building a culture of accountability and are committed to transparency and improving the agency’s financial operations.
"The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) would like to thank the JLARC team for its collaboration and professionalism in completing the VDH Financial Management, Staffing, and Accountability Systems study.
There is no doubt that the rebuilding of the administrative functions that we have been implementing, all of which align with recommendations in this report, will lead to better public health across Virginia.”