Our health information (HI) professionals are super!   You’ve heard the expression, “Not all superheroes wear capes.”   This directly applies to DataGen’s team of experts, who work tirelessly to help clients with our HIM medical coding solution and SPARCS submission tool, UDS (UIS Data System™) .   For the past two years, we’ve celebrated members of our top-notch team during the American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA’s) Health Information Professionals (HIP) Week , which occurs every April.   “The meticulous work of UDS team members in troubleshooting and enhancing the flow of health information within New York State directly contributes to improved patient care and organizational efficiency,” says Kevin Tedesco, senior director, advanced analytics, DataGen. “Their efforts ensure that high-quality data is captured and utilized for trending illness, setting payment rates, addressing community health needs and ensuring the quality healthcare provi...

What you learned about health information (HI) careers  Throughout HIP Week 2025 , we ran a daily LinkedIn quiz to highlight the essential work of health information (HI) professionals.   If you followed along, great! If you missed a question or two, don’t worry — we’ve recapped all the correct answers (and explained why the others were off the mark). Or, you can take the quiz if you missed it altogether!  Monday’s topic: Who are HI professionals? Poll question: What’s the core focus of HI pros?  Managing patient records Providing medical treatment  Prescribing medications  Poll answer: What’s the core focus of HI pros?  ✅ Managing patient records (Correct)  ❌ Providing medical treatment  ❌ Prescribing medications  Why: HI professionals specialize in handling patient data — making sure it’s accurate, secure and accessible. They don’t treat or diagnose patients directly.  Tuesday’s topic: Where do HI professionals work?  ...

This October 100% of Q1 2023 data is due to the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System of New York State. Whether you receive a Statement of Deficiency or not, you may be wondering if there are better ways to manage SPARCS data changes. It’s not uncommon for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to experience challenges with SPARCS submissions, specifically with data updates and staying compliant. Even the most experienced, full-time SPARCS coordinator can have difficulties keeping up.                                                            In this blog, we’ll outline how SPARCS requirements can change, submission error consequences and solutions to overcome these challenges. Bef...

  Fourth quarter 2024 Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System data submission (SOD) due dates are coming up — and so are the final warning and statement of deficiency issue dates for Q3 2024. Here are the key dates hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers need to know to remain SPARCS compliant.  [Download our quarterly calendar here]  Key compliance dates for SPARCS data: Q3 and Q4 2024  Q3 2024 SPARCS compliance deadlines: Discharge months July - September  March 15  Final/third warning for Q3 2024 data   Facilities that have not resolved their Q3 2024 data errors after receiving three warnings will be issued an SOD.   April 15  SOD issued for Q3 2024 data   Facilities will be issued an SOD on this date.  Q4 2024 SPARCS compliance deadlines: Discharge months October - December   March 31  Submission deadline for Q4 2024 data   Ensure your data are accurate and submitted on time to...

Accurate and standardized healthcare data are essential for informed decision-making and compliance. In New York state, the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) plays a critical role in collecting and analyzing patient data. Central to this system is the SPARCS data dictionary, a comprehensive resource that ensures consistency in data reporting across healthcare providers. This blog will explore the SPARCS data dictionary , including:  key components and practical applications;  how it can streamline healthcare operations; and   how understanding it can simplify your submission routines.   We will also cover SPARCS data automation and DataGen’s automated SPARCS data submission tool, UDS (UIS Data System™), and how it can help you achieve 100% accuracy and compliance with minimal effort.  Who should use this SPARCS data dictionary?   Key roles in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs)  This SPARCS data dictionary is a valuabl...

Coding outpatient visits might sound straightforward, but when it comes to Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) submissions, even minor errors can lead to major complications.   SPARCS plays a critical role in New York state’s healthcare system by collecting data that impact health policies, funding allocations and quality improvement initiatives across the state. However, with the constant evolution of guidelines and the high volume of outpatient encounters, healthcare providers face unique challenges to ensure compliance and data accuracy.  Keep reading to get a better sense of what’s needed to improve outpatient visit coding processes across your organization.  Main SPARCS challenges surrounding outpatient visits  1. Record nuances  For SPARCS data managers, one of the biggest challenges lies in translating the nuances of outpatient visits into compliant, accurate codes. Outpatient visits often include routine care, which doesn’t ...

Third quarter 2024 Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data submissions are due. In addition, the third final warning and Statement of Deficiency issue date for Q2 2024 is here. Keep reading for key dates that hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and health systems need to know to remain SPARCS compliant.  [Download our quarterly calendar here]   Key compliance dates for SPARCS data: Q2 and Q3 2024  Q2 2024 SPARCS compliance deadlines  Dec. 15  Final third warning for Q2 2024 data   Hospitals that have not resolved their Q2 2024 data errors after receiving three warnings will be issued an SOD.   Jan. 15  SOD issued for Q2 2024 data   Hospitals will be issued an SOD.  Q3 2024 SPARCS compliance deadlines   Dec. 31  Submission deadline for Q3 2024 data   The deadline for submitting Q3 2024 SPARCS data falls on this date. Ensure your data are accurate and submitted on time to avoid penalties....

Second quarter 2024 Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data submissions are due. To help you keep track of SPARCS deadlines, we put together a downloadable infographic detailing the most important dates for the second quarter of 2024 .    Don’t forget about your Q1 2024 SPARCS data submissions  The third final warning and statement of deficiency issue date for Q1 2024 is here. Don’t forget these Q1 2024 compliance deadlines this quarter:  Sept. 15, 2024: An audit was performed for the final third warning of Q1 2024 data. Facilities that have not resolved their Q1 2024 data errors prior to this date after receiving three warnings will be issued a SOD.  Oct. 15, 2024: Facilities were audited for Q1 2024 data compliance and issued an SOD.  Key Q2 2024 SPARCS data compliance audit dates  Sept. 30  Submission deadline for Q2 2024 data   You avoided penalties if you submitted your Q2 2024 SPARCS data by this date....

Elevate your coding standards with a new automation  In New York state’s intricate health system, it’s crucial to implement effective healthcare data management that meets Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) deadlines. The SPARCS Program requires consistent data submission reports. With the wrong system, SPARCS formatting and submissions can waste precious time and resources for health information management (HIM) coders, SPARCS data analysts and healthcare professionals.  With DataGen's UDS (UIS Data System™) new trending failures feature, you can automate more aspects of your SPARCS data to keep up with the evolving healthcare industry. Continue reading to learn how this functionality allows SPARCS data analysts and administrators to see repeat issues with coded records immediately and save your team precious time.   The cost of correcting records  Submitting records to SPARCS has significant financial implications. Each time a coder touc...

Compliance with Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data submissions is crucial for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. With Q2 deadlines quickly approaching, facilities could face submission penalty accumulation as they meet delinquency conditions for both Q4 2023 and Q1 2024.  This blog covers the most recent compliance dates and details what to keep track of to avoid penalties and ensure timely, accurate data submissions.  Key compliance dates for SPARCS data  By adhering to these guidelines and keeping track of critical dates, your facility can maintain compliance and avoid unnecessary complications.    June 15  Third warning for Q4 2023 data   Facilities received a third warning if their Q4 2023 SPARCS data were non-compliant. This was the last opportunity to resolve any data errors before a formal Statement of Deficiency (SOD) audit was performed on July 15, 2024.  June 30  Submission deadline for Q1 ...

Many healthcare organizations overlook the importance of mandatory data submissions to New York’s Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) when acquiring a new facility. Accurate, up-to-date SPARCS data can give the organizations the most operational horsepower throughout the acquisition process. Accurate SPARCS data ensures compliance, provides guidance and prevents costly delays in expansion plans.  This blog will cover two common SPARCS compliance scenarios* and how they impact facility acquisition. We’ll also highlight how using a data submission platform, like DataGen’s SPARCS submission tool, UDS (UIS Data System™ ), can aid the process.   Scenario 1: Large hospital system acquires a rural facility  Overview  A larger hospital system has acquired a new rural facility. The rural facility has one SPARCS coordinator who handles claims in its healthcare information management department. The rural facility is behind on its SPARCS data submis...

Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data resubmissions impact a hospital or ambulatory surgery center’s ability to meet New York state requirements for clean patient discharge and visit records. But if you can resolve friction points created by SPARCS errors, you’ll have more resources available to focus on delivering affordable, quality care.   In this blog, we’ll go over how inefficient SPARCS data processing can impact your facility. Then, we’ll cover how you can optimize the process to achieve the three main benefits of automated SPARCS data submission.   How inefficient SPARCS data processing impacts facilities  SPARCS data provides DOH with details on each hospital’s inpatient stays and outpatient and ASC visits. If a facility submits data with errors, it must dedicate additional time to rework and resubmit claims data. This could lead to increased  compliance risks , DOH formal Statement of Deficiency and delay your  Cert...