Documents for the September 13, 2013 Committee on Health Planning of the Public Health and Health Planning Council Special Meeting

Overview

The Public Health and Health Planning Council's Health Planning Committee is analyzing the increase in the number and types of ambulatory services providers that have developed and considering a set of recommendations to normalize public oversight of these practices and licensed facilities. On the agenda for the September meetings are retail clinics, urgent care, upgraded diagnostic and treatment centers (D&TCs) and freestanding emergency departments (freestanding EDs). Department of Health staff has prepared a series of reports to assist the Committee member's deliberations.

It should be noted that potential statutory/regulatory options related to retail clinics have already undergone a considerable amount of development and discussion. An internal DOH Executive Workgroup was formed in the fall of 2012 and issued a set of recommendations for further consideration. Retail clinic policies were also considered by the NYS Legislature earlier this year, but no legislation was passed. Consequently, no statutory or regulatory changes have been made related to retail clinics. However, many of the draft recommendations developed for retail clinics are central to the oversight of other ambulatory services providers that the Committee is discussing.