2006 Code of Virginia § 51.5-11 - Central registry; information contained therein to be confidential

51.5-11. Central registry; information contained therein to be confidential.

A. The Department shall establish and maintain a central registry of personswho sustain spinal cord injury other than through disease, whether or notpermanent disability results, and brain injury if permanent disability islikely to result, in order to facilitate the provision of appropriaterehabilitation services by the Department and other state agencies to suchpersons. The Department, in cooperation with organizations representingpersons with disabilities maintained by the central registry, shall establishand pilot a mechanism which utilizes the data maintained by the centralregistry pursuant to this section to provide client identification, follow-upand outreach; maintain accurate and up-to-date records concerning theclient's functional level and need for services; and facilitate betteranalysis and utilization of such data for effective program, policy andfiscal planning purposes.

B. Every hospital and attending physician shall report to the Department bythe most expeditious means within thirty days after identification of anyperson sustaining brain injury and within seven days after identification ofany person sustaining spinal cord injury. The report shall contain the name,age and residence of the person, date and cause of the injury, and suchadditional information as the Department may deem necessary.

C. Information contained in the registry concerning individuals shall not besubject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act ( 2.2-3700 et seq.) andshall be confidential for purposes other than those directly connected withthe administration of programs under the Department's jurisdiction or asrequired by other agencies of the Commonwealth. Information needed forresearch purposes may be made available to an organization or individualengaged in research only for purposes directly connected with theadministration of programs relating to persons with disabilities, includingresearch for the development of new knowledge or techniques which would beuseful in the administration of the program; however, the organization orindividual must furnish satisfactory assurance that the information will beused solely for the purpose for which it is provided, that it will not bereleased to persons not connected with the study under consideration, andthat the final product of the research will not reveal any information thatmay serve to identify any person about whom information has been obtainedthrough the Department without the written consent of the person, or hislegally authorized parent or guardian, and the Department.

(Code 1950, 2.1-583, 22-330.6:2; 1978, c. 225; 1980, c. 559; 1982, c. 12;1984, c. 67; 1985, c. 421, 51.01-11; 1986, c. 112; 1987, c. 49; 1989, c.176.)