Dear Chief Executive Officer and Community Service Plan Coordinators Letter: Community Service Plan Update

October 13, 2015

Dear Chief Executive Officer and Community Service Plan Coordinators:

This letter provides information about the annual update for the Community Service Plan (CSP), due December 2015, as well as plans for the next comprehensive CSP, due in December 2016.

The 2015 CSP update, as required by New York State (NYS) Public Health Law is due on December 30th, 2015. This year, the one year update will provide information on progress towards implementing the interventions that were described in the plan submitted in November 2013 and updated in the 2014 annual survey.

Hospitals and their CSP coordinators will be asked to review and update summary information about their current activities based on the information provided last year. Specifically, they will be asked to:

  • identify the evidence-based intervention strategies being employed and their status of implementation;
  • describe the measures being used to track progress in meeting goals, report baseline and updated data if available;
  • briefly describe the successes and challenges to making progress in this effort.

The information will meet the requirements for the annual report and will also assist the NYS Department of Health (DOH) and its partners assess progress and provide technical assistance to support Prevention Agenda efforts. A link to the survey tool that you will use to complete the one year update will be sent by November 1st.

By December 30, 2015, facilities are also asked to send the DOH, as a separate attachment, the 2014 Schedule H (IRS Form 990). The Schedule H (IRS form 990) should be sent as a separate attachment to the following secured DOH mailbox: scheduleh@health.ny.gov.

The Department of Health will review these plans with the objective of documenting investments in Community Benefit activities tied to the Prevention Agenda, especially in the categories of Community Health Improvement and Community Building, whose definitions include the kinds of activities needed to improve the health of communities. The DOH's goal is for each hospital to increasingly align its investments in evidence-based interventions related to the Prevention Agenda.

The 2016-2018 three year comprehensive CSP will be due December 2016. Guidance and a template for completing this plan will be sent later this fall. In summary, hospitals will not be required to conduct a comprehensive community health needs assessment in 2016 because many hospitals completed such an assessment as part of their DSRIP application. Hospitals will be asked to work with their local health departments and the community they serve to review the data and identify two priorities and a health disparity tied to the Prevention Agenda. These can be the current priorities in the present plans or new priorities.

Hospitals and local health departments will also be asked to submit a plan that describes the evidence-based interventions that will be implemented to address those priorities and the health disparity of interest. Local health departments and hospitals are encouraged to work together to submit one plan per county that describes the efforts of all participants, but they can submit individual organizational plans if that works best in their county. Regardless, evidence of collaboration among local health departments, hospitals and community organizations in selecting or confirming local priorities and the health disparity, and addressing them, must be included.

If you have any questions on the CSP annual update or the comprehensive CSP due in 2016, please contact Priti Irani 518-402-5340, or via email at priti.irani@health.ny.gov. For questions about the Schedule H request, please contact Charles Bonsu, 518-402-1004, or via email at Charles.bonsu@health.ny.gov.

Sincerely,

Ruth Leslie
Director
Division of Hospitals and Diagnostic & Treatment Centers

bcc: Ms. Irani Mr. Bonsu