Public Health Reporting Pathway

The Public Health Reporting Pathway (PHRP) securely moves public health data between providers and state entities to improve outcomes for Virginia residents and track trends that strengthen response efforts.

Overview of the PHRP

History of the PHRP

VHI became the statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) for Virginia in 2019 after merging with the former HIE, ConnectVirginia. The PHRP was established in 2013 as the first program of ConnectVirginia and continues to evolve as one of VHI’s most important public health efforts.

Purpose of the PHRP

The PHRP provides the transport of public health-related messages to and from government entities, including the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Department of General Services (DGS) Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS), to enable healthcare entities to meet Promoting Interoperability (formerly Meaningful Use) requirements.

Trusted & Protected Connections

VHI is responsible for helping organizations establish secure connections within the PHRP. All public health data reported through the pathway are transferred to VDH and DGS in a protected manner in partnership with the program’s technology vendor, CRISP Shared Services (CSS).

Flowchart of Virginia's health data exchange. It shows reporting entities, Virginia’s Health Information Exchange, public health authority, technology partner, and Department of General Services.

Types of Supported Data

VHI currently supports submissions through the PHRP for:

Bi-Directional Immunizations
Cancer
Dried Blood Spot Newborn Screenings (NBS)
Electronic Case Reporting (eCR)
Electronic Lab Reporting (ELR)
Syndromic Surveillance
HEDIS Measures
National Data Exchange

Beyond statewide reporting, VHI also provides the infrastructure to support VDH in exchanging public health data nationally. These exchanges include ELR and eCR messages with the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Informatics Messaging Services (AIMS) Hub, as well as immunization messages between the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS) and the CDC’s Immunization (IZ) Gateway.

Program Reach

4k+ Facilities use the PHRP directly or through EHR systems

99.99 of Virginia’s public health messages reach VDH through the PHRP

200M+ public health messages are sent via the PHRP each year

Why the PHRP Works

The PHRP supports better care and a stronger public health response. Here’s how it makes an impact every day:

Real-Time Data Exchange

Provides a secure, customizable pathway for exchanging public health data

Enhanced Surveillance

Supports timely monitoring of health trends to strengthen local and national response efforts

Female doctor and patient talking; healthcare, medicine, consultation.

Care Coordination

Strengthens real-time communication between healthcare teams and public health entities

“In public health, you can impact more than one person at a time. The whole society is your patient.”
Dr. Tom Frieden, MD, MPH

Alt text: "Infographic titled 'Get Started with Public Health Reporting' shows a five-step process. Steps include: 1. Registration, 2. Connection, 3. Testing, 4. Implementation, 5. Live. Each step is marked by a red circle with a number and brief description below. Blue arrows indicate progression between steps."

Additional Public Health Reporting Resources

If your organization needs to submit and/or query data from VDH via the PHRP, the resources listed below may help.

Promoting Interoperability

See how VDH helps providers meet Promoting Interoperability requirements through electronic public health reporting.

Learn More

Healthcare professional holds a sleeping newborn baby, symbolizing care, medical expertise, and the beginning of life.

Newborn Screening Web Portal

Every baby born in Virginia is screened for 33 rare but serious conditions. Access trusted newborn screening resources below.

Learn More