The New York State Department of Health has developed a statewide data system known as the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) and that all acute care hospitals are required to submit to SPARCS certain billing and medical record information for all patients. This information in SPARCS will be used for financial studies, rate setting, utilization review, health planning, epidemiology and research studies.
Please be assured that under this program:
1. The New York State Department of Health will not receive the name of any patient or any information which will enable a patient to be identified within the SPARCS System.
2. Regulations have been enacted protecting a patient's privacy and confidentiality by restricting access to any sensitive information in SPARCS and assuring review of all such requests by an independent public review board.
3. Additional regulations have been enacted to control all access to SPARCS.
4. SPARCS is not designed to identify specific patients; instead it is structured to provide information on patterns of illness and costs of care in hospitals.
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This hospital is required to submit patient medical record and billing data to the Department of Health pursuant to Sections 405.28 and 405.29 of Article 2, Subchapter A, Chapter V, Title 10 (Health) of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York. The privacy, confidentiality and security of the information supplied is protected pursuant to Section 405.20 of Article 2, Subchapter A, Chapter V, Title 10 (Health) of the Official Compliance of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York.
For further information concerning SPARCS please contact:
Director
Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System
New York State Department of Health
733 Broadway
Albany, NY
12237-0023
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