RICHMOND, Va. — The state's highest ranking health officials said change is coming to protect some of Virginia's most vulnerable people — nursing home residents.
Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet Kelly and State Health Commissioner Dr. Karen Shelton sat down with CBS 6 investigative reporter Tyler Layne Tuesday to discuss Governor Glenn Youngkin's newest executive order which aims to strengthen the oversight of nursing facilities across the commonwealth.
The order, which was announced Monday, puts a heavy focus on overhauling the state office within the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) responsible for licensing, inspecting, and investigating the state's nearly 300 nursing homes.
"The more we kept looking under the hood and hearing stories and hearing reports from people like you in the media who were shining a light on this, the more we realized that we needed to keep digging and so between legislation and leadership changes and now this executive order, we feel really good that we're going to leave this industry better than we found it," said Kelly, a member of the governor's cabinet who oversees twelve state agencies including VDH.
“I think we all realized as people were coming forward, and thank you for your reporting on this to kind of help shine a light, but as others came forward and the complaints mounted, something different needs to be done. Something more has to be done," said Shelton, who leads VDH. “We want to make sure that when people go to healthcare facilities in Virginia, that they have confidence and trust that they will receive quality care and that they are safe in those environments."
The governor's order came after numerous CBS 6 investigative reports over the past year detailing the health department's shortcomings in holding facilities accountable.
As state regulators observed an "overall decline in care being provided to residents" and as family members voiced concerns about care and safety issues impacting their loved ones, VDH's understaffed Office of Licensure and Certification (OLC) struggled to complete timely inspections of facilities and timely investigations of a skyrocketing number of complaints. According to federal data, Virginia ranks next to last the country for nursing homes overdue for inspection.
“That raises a red flag with us, and it's our job to look into that and to say, 'What's going on? Why is this happening, and how do we fix it? That's what we've been doing for the last three and a half years," Kelly said.
“How has our reporting played a role or made a difference in these efforts?” Layne asked.
“It had a huge impact," Kelly said. "We only have so much we can do inside the government to raise awareness, to build public will, to make sure that the General Assembly is knowledgeable, and your reporting really helped with that. All three of those things happened, I think, as a result of your coverage.”
“So would you say that it helped bring us to this point today where we now have this executive order on the books?” Layne asked.
“Absolutely," Kelly said.
The executive order directs the OLC to:
- Automate and modernize its operations including the process for handling complaints. The governor has asked the office to utilize artificial intelligence to reduce paperwork and manual tasks.
- Accelerate training and onboarding initiatives. The office is expected to create a training manager position to help with workforce readiness and expand organizational capacity.
- Fill all of its open inspector positions by December 31. The vacancy rate currently sits at 42%.
“Do you think it’s a doable goal to have all these vacancies filled by the end of the year?” Layne asked Shelton.
“We are pushing our hardest, and we look to achieve that goal," Shelton answered. "We have a lot of people working on this, and we've also brought in some extra positions up front to help manage this process."
An analysis of the OLC produced in March 2025 revealed a workforce that was overworked, underpaid, and lacking in training and skills due to the staffing shortages. The report found that the office was "not running properly" in almost every aspect.
In response to that analysis, OLC leadership developed a recruitment plan, and many of those strategies were already underway before the governor's executive order.
"We've been doing and building up to what is actually memorialized in the [executive order] for quite a while now, because when something was obvious, we didn't want to wait for an [executive order] to actually do it," Kelly said.
The order also directs Shelton to convene a nursing home accountability and oversight advisory board which will consist of various stakeholders including industry professionals and resident advocates such as the Long-Term Care Ombudsman. The group will advise the governor and commissioner on recommended policies to improve care and resident well-being.
"We're very excited about the advisory board for nursing home oversight and accountability coming forward and tapping into people who know the nursing home industry, who know quality of care, who know what authorities may be helpful, and looking at other states' examples," Shelton said. “The legislators often ask, ‘What can we do?’ And so it's great to have a team come together that we can all brainstorm together and say, 'these are concrete steps that we can take.'"
Kelly will delegate members of the board and said there will be opportunities for family members of residents or former residents themselves to be involved to act as "our eyes and ears on the ground."
“What would you say to the person who might be seeing the story and they're thinking, 'you know, it sounds nice to have this advisory group and a stronger OLC, but how will it actually make a difference for my loved one who is in a facility right now?'” Layne asked Kelly.
“I think they'll be very encouraged. Right now we're about half staffed, and so having a full team will make sure that we're hitting those surveys on time, and we'll make sure that we're doing it in a timely manner so that their loved ones are cared for," she responded.
Meanwhile, the Virginia Health Care Association-Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VHCA-VCAL), which represents the industry, has expressed skepticism.
In a statement, the organization's president and CEO Keith Hare said in part, "While the administration has emphasized the importance of accountability and regulatory improvement, VHCA-VCAL is concerned that the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Licensure and Certification has not received the necessary funding to fully implement the recommended measures within the proposed timeframes. Effective oversight requires adequate resources, and without them, the success of these initiatives will be limited."
CBS 6 asked Governor Youngkin whether his directives could be achieved with only a few months left in his term.
“The short answer is yes, and we're racing through the finish," Youngkin answered. "I'm not letting a single day go unused to make sure that we have this objective."
Shelton said new leadership is now in place at OLC to include an acting director, acting deputy director, and senior advisor, and they're ready to carry out the governor's mission. The new team, she said, brings experience in government regulation of healthcare as well as executive leadership on the provider side.
And to those who voiced their desires for change, she said she listened.
“The voices matter, and these voices coming forward has been very instrumental," Shelton said.
CBS 6 reached out to various provider and consumer advocacy groups for reactions to the governor's executive order. Here are their responses:
AARP Virginia (Advocates for older Americans)
“AARP Virginia applauds Governor Youngkin for making badly needed improvements to nursing home oversight. Too many of Virginia’s most vulnerable people have suffered because of poor quality of care in nursing homes. At the same time, families struggle to make decisions about how to care for their loved ones because they have a hard time finding information – if it even exists – about how well nursing homes in their areas are actually keeping their residents safe.
"That’s why AARP has long pushed for greater accountability from facilities that fail to provide quality care to residents. It’s why we’ve fought for more transparency to ensure that people have information from inspections, surveys and potentially disciplinary actions so they can make the best-informed decisions and make sure their loved ones are in good hands.
"Thank you, Governor Youngkin, for your leadership on this issue. AARP Virginia stands ready to support implementation in any way that we can.” -Jim Dau, State Director
The Virginia Health Care Association-Virginia Center for Assisted Living (Advocates on behalf of the industry)
"The goals outlined in the Governor’s Executive Order are consistent with the advocacy efforts of the Virginia Health Care Association-Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VHCA-VCAL) to ensure high-quality care for long-term care residents across the Commonwealth.
"While the administration has emphasized the importance of accountability and regulatory improvement, VHCA-VCAL is concerned that the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Licensure and Certification has not received the necessary funding to fully implement the recommended measures within the proposed timeframes. Effective oversight requires adequate resources, and without them, the success of these initiatives will be limited.
"Additionally, VHCA-VCAL strongly believes Governor Youngkin should support nursing home residents by directing the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to follow the budget passed by the General Assembly, which included funding to help facilities hire direct care staff. The unconstitutional veto of this funding poses a significant challenge for providers working to maintain safe and resident-focused care.
"Virginia’s nursing homes remain committed to delivering high-quality care, but they also require the tools and support to do so. VHCA-VCAL urges the Governor to ensure that policy goals are matched with the financial resources necessary to achieve them." -Keith Hare, President and CEO
Virginia Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (Advocates for people receiving long-term care services)
"The Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman strongly supports the significant action this Executive Order launches to strengthen oversight and improve accountability and transparency in Virginia’s nursing homes. Nothing short of a comprehensive approach to improving nursing home care is needed, and the Governor’s order sets into motion critical components that promise much-needed peace of mind to our Commonwealth’s nursing home residents and their family members. Our office is committed to working in earnest with the Governor’s office and all stakeholders in bringing these reform strategies to fruition and ensuring that all Virginians can access quality long-term care." -Joani Latimer, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
LeadingAge Virginia (Advocates for not-for-profit providers)
"LeadingAge Virginia applauds Governor Youngkin’s efforts to strengthen oversight, transparency, and quality in Virginia’s nursing homes. Fully staffing the inspection workforce and modernizing processes are important steps toward that goal. We also believe that continued improvement is dependent on ensuring Medicaid funding is sufficient to support quality care by enabling organizations to recruit and retain qualified staff, invest in resources, and meet residents’ needs. We look forward to working with the Administration and legislators to pair these oversight measures with the resources needed to enhance quality of life for residents and support the dedicated staff who care for them." -Dana Parsons, Vice President and Legislative Council
Justice and Change for Victims of Nursing Facilities (Advocates for nursing facility residents and their families)
"As advocates for quality of care and accountability for our Nursing Facility Residents, we are pleased to see that Governor Youngkin has issued this executive order to help ensure accountability from those who inspect our Nursing facilities. This has been largely ignored, so we thank Governor Youngkin for this, it has been a long time coming. We hope the there will be a space in this process for a few advocates to become involved somewhere in their plans as a voice for nursing facility residents and their families, directly. We continue to advocate for our most vulnerable - Nursing Facility Residents." -Joanna Heiskill, Cofounder
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
