Modernizing Virginia’s Brain Injury Data Systems

Virginians living with brain injury deserve a service system that is coordinated, efficient, and built on modern tools that reflect today’s needs. For more than 12 years, state-contracted brain injury providers in Virginia have been required by DARS to use a customized data platform that is now outdated, fragmented, and unable to support the level of care residents need and deserve.

The current system creates significant barriers for individuals with brain injury, their caregivers, and the professionals who support them:

• There is no client or caregiver portal for communication or shared documentation.
• Providers cannot message clients or coordinate directly with other care providers through the system.
• The system cannot support Medicaid billing for Targeted Case Management, limiting sustainability and capacity.
• Extracting accurate data for DARS, the General Assembly, and other stakeholders is difficult, often resulting in misinterpretation and inconsistent reporting across providers.
• Client records cannot be shared across brain injury programs, limiting continuity of care when a resident moves or transitions to a different program.
• The system does not comply with current VITA standards, creating additional risk and inefficiencies.
• Case managers are forced to spend valuable time wrestling with outdated technology instead of serving Virginians directly.

What This $420,000 Investment Would Do for Virginians Living With Brain Injury

FY27 — $120,000 (One-Time Funding)

• Conduct a comprehensive statewide assessment of:
  • Current and future provider needs
  • Requirements for a modern, VITA-approved Client Relationship Management (CRM) or Electronic Health Record (EHR) system
  • System features needed to improve communication, record sharing, and outcome tracking for clients and caregivers

FY28 — $300,000 (One-Time Funding)

• Develop a detailed implementation plan highlighting:
  • New business processes and technology needs
  • Standardized data and outcome measures
  • How a modern system will improve client care, streamline documentation, and strengthen accountability
  • How improved data will benefit clients, caregivers, providers, DARS, funders, and Virginia lawmakers

Why It Matters

Modernizing this system will create a more seamless and coordinated experience for Virginians living with brain injury—one where providers can communicate effectively, records are secure and shareable, and services can be delivered more efficiently.

• A new data platform will:
  • Improve access to care
  • Reduce delays
  • Strengthen communication between clients, caregivers, and providers
  • Enhance statewide consistency
  • Improve outcomes by giving case managers more time to focus on people, not paperwork

Modern data systems are a basic necessity — not a luxury — for a strong Virginia brain injury safety net. Investing now ensures that residents living with brain injury receive the coordinated, high-quality support they deserve.