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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 12. Health
Agency 5. Department of Health
Chapter 221. Regulations Governing Cooperative Agreements
1/21/2026

12VAC5-221-10. Definitions.

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Applicant" means a party to a proposed cooperative agreement that submits an application to the authority pursuant to § 15.2-5384.1 of the Code of Virginia.

"Application" means the written materials submitted by applicants in accordance with § 15.2-5384.1 of the Code of Virginia.

"Attorney General" means the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

"Authority" has the same meaning as ascribed to the term in § 15.2-5369 of the Code of Virginia.

"Commissioner" means the State Health Commissioner or the State Health Commissioner's designee as may be designated in this chapter.

"Cooperative agreement" has the same meaning as ascribed to the term in § 15.2-5369 of the Code of Virginia.

"Day" means calendar day.

"Department" means the Virginia Department of Health.

"Hospital" has the same meaning as ascribed to the term in § 15.2-5369 of the Code of Virginia.

"Letter and order authorizing cooperative agreement" or "authorization letter" means a document that is issued by the commissioner approving a cooperative agreement.

"Measure" means some number of factors or benchmarks, which may be binary, a range, or continuous factors.

"Participating locality" has the same meaning as ascribed to the term in § 15.2-5369 of the Code of Virginia.

"Party" means a hospital entering into a cooperative agreement.

"Plan of separation" means a written proposal submitted with an application to return the parties to a preconsolidation state, which includes a plan for separation of any combined assets, offering, provision, operation, planning, funding, pricing, contracting, utilization review, or management of health services or any combined sharing, allocation, or referral of patients, personnel, employee benefits, instructional programs, support services, and facilities or medical, diagnostic, or laboratory facilities or procedures or other services traditionally offered by hospitals, including any parent or subsidiary at the time the consolidation occurs or thereafter.

"Primary service area" or "PSA" means the geographic area from which a hospital draws 75% of its patients as measured by the residential zip code of each patient.

"Secondary service area" or "SSA" means the geographic area from which a hospital draws an additional 15% of its patients, as measured by the residential zip code of each patient.

"TAP" means the technical advisory panel.

Statutory Authority

§ 32.1-12 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 1, eff. October 20, 2017; amended, Virginia Register Volume 42, Issue 8, eff. January 15, 2026.

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