New York State Department of Health Hospital Certification and Oversight Files

Chapter 795 of Laws of 1965 grants the commissioner of health "The central, comprehensive responsibility for the development and administration of the state's policy with respect to hospital and related services??" The law prohibits any health care facility construction projects without prior approval of the commissioner (and the State Hospital Review and Planning Council and the appropriate Regional Hospital Planning Council); gives the commissioner the right to "inquire into the operation of hospitals" and to "conduct periodic inspections of facilities"; grants the commissioner the authority to approve and revoke hospital operating certificates. The law also directed formation of a unit for "hospital affairs" to assist the commissioner in carrying out its provisions. In 1966 the Bureau of Hospital Certification was created within the newly formed Division of Hospital Affairs to carry out this function.

This series consists of files for each hospital in the state and the results of a hospital management assessment survey conducted in 1975. Files contain a variety of items such as the following: incoming and outgoing correspondence between the facility and other bureaus of the department of health; incoming and outgoing correspondence and memoranda between the bureau of hospital certification and other bureaus of department of health; applications for operating certificates; health care facility complaint reports and record of action taken; applications for hospital construction projects and record of action taken; applications for exception from the State Hospital Code and record of action taken; rate appeals and action taken; schedules of estimates annual expense and income schedules; reports of regional health office survey teams; hospital financial and manpower reports; audited financial statements. Arranged alphabetically by name of health care facility.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.