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State Spotlight - Virginia
 Last updated: March 2008
Kathryn Suyes, RN, MPH
Coordinator, State Child Fatality Review
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
400 East Jackson Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-786-1047
Fax: 804-371-8595
Email: Kathryn.Suyes@vdh.virginia.gov
Website: http://www.vdh.state.va.us/medExam/childfatality.htm
Tools
Reports
Mortality Statistics
Program Description
Administration
Virginia’s Child Fatality Review Program was established in 1994. It
has an annual budget of approximately $85,000 that is funded by the MCH Block
grant Funding
for the program is a year to year. The program is housed out of the
health department. There is one paid state employee and five unpaid
local employees that staff the program.
Teams
Virginia has both state and local teams. The Citizen’s Review Panel is
included in Virginia’s CDR efforts.
State Team:
The team is comprised of 19 members and meets six times a year. Most of
their meeting time is spent reviewing cases. This team has access to
all records according to state statute. The meetings must be advertised
as public but are closed when cases are discussed. Before the meeting
takes place, the state team is divided into groups that read the case
files. At the meeting, they present the information to the entire team
and the team determines the preventability of the case. Everyone on the
team must agree on preventability. When the state team develops
recommendations, the CFR coordinator calls the agency that the
recommendation will affect. They discuss the recommendation to
determine if it fits. This can lead to a better, more target
recommendation.
Local Teams:
There are three teams, each comprised of approximately 25 members. The
teams meet either monthly or quarterly.
Reviews
The Virginia Child Fatality Review State Team reviews deaths to
children under 18 years of age by the following statute (1) violent and
unnatural child deaths; (2) sudden child deaths occurring within the
first eighteen months of life and (3) those fatalities for which the
cause or manner of death was not determined with reasonable medical
certainty. By statute, the Virginia local or regional CFR teams review
deaths to children under 18 years of age.
Purpose
The purpose of the Virginia CFR Program is prevention. Teams have
always focused on prevention and public health interventions.
Data
Standardized data reporting forms are not completed for all reviews.
The collection of data is not required by legislation or policy.
Virginia’s CFR has access to state vital statistics. Vital statistics
are used to place reviewed child deaths within the context of all child
deaths in the state. CFR data is stored on a computer and is analyzed
using SPSS.
Annual Report
Virginia does produce an annual report. This report is distributed to
injury prevention groups, FIMR, domestic violence advocates, police
chiefs, sheriff departments, medical examiners, social services
directors, child protective services supervisors, members of the
Virginia General Assembly, Commonwealth’s Attorneys, SAFE KIDS
coalitions and other child advocate organizations.
Prevention Initiatives
Virginia CFR efforts
have influenced policy changes. Statewide examples of this include a
legislative change requiring stiffer civil penalties for violations of
child safety restraint laws. Local community examples include community
level education on SIDS and co-sleeping, collaboration with Drive Smart
Virginia on safe driving among teenagers, shaken baby awareness
campaign through a local hospital and collaboration with branches of
the military on preventing child abuse and neglect among military
families. Examples of how CFR findings have motivated prevention
activities include a re-invigorated safe sleep campaign through the
Virginia Department of Health, a review of child suicides led to the
development of a statewide youth suicide prevention plan and review of
caretaker homicides led to an initiative to educate local health
department personnel about shaken baby syndrome.
Protocols
Virginia has confidentiality and CFR meeting protocols in place.
Training
Training is not provided.
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