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SPARCS compliance: How it can impact your Certificate of Need applications

Woman smiling and turning away from her computer that has SPARCS compliance information on it.

Did you know that incomplete SPARCS data can delay Certificate of Need applications — all because of failure to stay within New York state SPARCS compliance?

In this blog post, we’ll go over the importance of SPARCS compliance and its potential impact on your market growth.

What is the Certificate of Need process?

New York's CON process “governs establishment, construction, renovation and major medical equipment acquisitions of health care facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, and diagnostic and treatment centers.”

According to the New York State Department of Health, its objectives are “to promote delivery of high quality health care and ensure that services are aligned with community need” by providing DOH “oversight in limiting investment in duplicate beds, services and medical equipment which, in turn, limits associated health care costs.”

3 ways being out of SPARCS compliance can harm your growth

If you don’t satisfy SPARCS requirements, your Article 28 facility could face substantial consequences, including being fined by DOH. DOH also reserves the right to delay your CON application’s approval.

Article 28 facilities that aren’t SPARCS compliant and have their CON approval delayed can experience the following consequences:

  1. Inability to grow service lines: Healthcare leaders need to know their market position and adapt as the market shifts. Being unable to grow service lines in key areas at the right time could result in potential revenue loss.

  2. Inability to compete: If your CON application approval is delayed and competing organizations or emerging market disrupters enter a market first, your patients could seek service at another facility, resulting in a revenue loss for your organization.

  3. Inability to offer the right services for your market: You want to deliver the services your community needs right now. CON delays can keep you from adapting as your community’s health needs evolve.  

To prevent these consequences and ensure you’re providing the services your community needs, you need up-to-date SPARCS data.

Achieve SPARCS compliance to expand your footprint

When you want to expand your market, don't let incomplete data hold your organization back. Instead, use DataGen's SPARCS submission tool, UDS (UIS Data System™).

Trusted by more than 130 New York state hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers, this comprehensive tool can help you resolve your SPARCS data in a fraction of the time. Discover how it can get you back into compliance and prevent any SPARCS-related delays to your next CON application’s approval. Reach out to us today to start the conversation.

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