Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS)

Overview

SPARCS is a comprehensive all payer data reporting system established in 1979 as a result of cooperation between the healthcare industry and government. The system was initially created to collect information on discharges from hospitals. SPARCS currently collects patient level detail on patient characteristics, diagnoses and treatments, services, and charges for each hospital inpatient stay and outpatient (ambulatory surgery, emergency department, and outpatient services) visit; and each ambulatory surgery and outpatient services visit to a hospital extension clinic and diagnostic and treatment center licensed to provide ambulatory surgery services.

The enabling legislation for SPARCS is located under Section 28.16 of the Public Health Law (PHL). The regulations pertaining to SPARCS are under Section 400.18 of Title 10 (Health) of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules, and Regulations of the State of New York (NYCRR).

Further Reading

Contact Information

SPARCS Operations
Bureau of Health Informatics
Office of Quality and Patient Safety
New York State Department of Health
Empire State Plaza
Corning Tower, Room 1970
Albany, New York 12237

Phone: (518) 474-3189
Fax: (518) 486-3518

Questions/Comments: sparcs.submissions@health.ny.gov
Data Requests: sparcs.requests@health.ny.gov