Office of Information Management

The Office of Information Management (OIM) is responsible for the overall development, maintenance and security of information technology systems used at the Virginia Department of Health. OIM is also actively involved in collaborative projects with other state agencies to enhance data reporting and health care services in the Commonwealth.

OIM Helps Create an Online Statewide Emergency Communication System
OIM’s Emergency Information Systems unit and the Virginia Information Technology Authority (VITA) established a Web-based, statewide emergency alerting/communication system (SWAN). The system will help to disseminate emergency medical information during an event. Funding for this communication system was through the VDH Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The SWAN application may be adopted by other agencies resulting in an integrated state system that would provide coordinated emergency responses to natural or man-made disasters.

The Emergency Information Systems unit has also been instrumental in the procurement of satellite phone technology to be used by VDH personnel, as well as other designated public/private health care partners. Satellite phones can be used as a redundant communication system when primary systems such as email, pagers, landline phones and cell phones fail. Satellite phones can also be used to access and activate the VDH SWAN for emergency response notification. With the SWAN and satellite phone technologies, VDH has brought itself into the 21st Century communications arena and to the forefront of public health communications capabilities.

Emergency Medical Services Trauma Registry Simplified
OIM has implemented the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Trauma Registry which will be used in all hospitals that provide emergency services. The Trauma Registry is a Web application that permits hospitals to report certain injuries. OIM and the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) are working to modify the Trauma Registry to incorporate the Virginia Brain & Spinal Cord Injuries reporting and other DRS requirements. With the proposed system modifications for DRS, the Trauma Registry will eliminate three different paper forms and make reporting much easier for hospitals.

OIM Helps Parents Start the FAMIS Application Process On-Site
Additionally, OIM has coordinated with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to incorporate the FAMIS/ FAMIS Plus health insurance application into WebVISION. WebVISION is an enterprise system that manages the administrative functions associated with patient care and some clinical data. Incorporating the FAMIS application into WebVISION will enable parents to start the application process on-site. The completed application will be sent directly to the DMAS Central Processing Unit for eligibility determination. This improved application process should increase insurance enrollment for the approximately 49,000 uninsured, yet eligible, children in the state.