The bill introduced on March 5, 2025, aims to amend the Code of West Virginia by adding a new section, 16-5C-2, which focuses on enhancing the transparency of nursing home operations. It includes legislative findings that highlight the importance of public access to information about health care facilities, particularly during emergencies. The findings emphasize that the Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification (OHFLAC) currently maintains an online Health Care Facility Lookup page that provides essential details about nursing homes, including their names, addresses, and contact numbers.

The key provision of the bill mandates that the Department of Health must include the names of medical directors for each nursing home on the Health Care Facility Lookup page. This addition is intended to improve public access to critical information, especially during pandemics or large-scale emergencies, thereby benefiting the citizens of West Virginia by ensuring they can easily contact nursing home medical directors when necessary.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 16-5C-2