Dear Diagnostic and Treatment Center Administrators: Electronic Plan of Correction

July 29, 2015

Dear Diagnostic and Treatment Center Administrators:

RE: Electronic Plan of Correction

The Department implemented the Electronic Plan of Correction (ePOC) application for diagnostic and treatment centers (D&TCs) effective June 18, 2015. This initiative was previously announced through a Dear Administrator Letter dated December 3, 2014. This application is to automate the distribution of Statements of Deficiency (SODs) to D&TC providers and the receipt of Plans of Correction (POCs) from D&TC providers. This application will ultimately eliminate the sending of hard copy SODs and POCs by surface mail, streamlining the communications between the Department and providers.

The ePOC application is accessible via the Department's Health Commerce System (HCS). Provider access to the application will be governed by HCS roles. The roles used by the system for D&TCs are Administrator, Clinical Manager, Governing Body Chairman/President or Governing Body/Member, HCS Coordinator and POC Editor of the D&TC's main site.

Individuals who have been assigned the Administrator, Clinical Manager, HCS Coordinator, POC Editor, Governing Body Chair or Member, and Operator roles will be able to read SODs for their facility and the corresponding POCs. Those designated as Administrators, Clinical Managers, HCS coordinators, and POC Editors will be able to write POCs for their facility. Only those individuals in the Administrator and Clinical Manager roles will be able to submit POCs to DOH on behalf of their facility.

The Operator role was created to assist facilities by providing access to the SODs and POCS by individuals representing the governing authority or operator. The operator's responsibility in responding to an SOD or POC has changed with this process. In the past, SODs have been sent directly to facility operators. The facility administrators have been secondary recipients. With ePOC, the facility Administrator will be the primary recipient of the SODs. It will be the responsibility of the facility to communicate SODs to any governing authority or operating organization; facilities must develop the necessary policies and procedures to ensure that such communication occurs.

The following training materials are available to all providers using ePOC:

  1. A recorded ePOC training webinar is available at:
    https://nysdoh.webex.com/nysdoh/lsr.php?RCID=7afe0292a75b975dd52add11e46c3c1b
  2. The webinar (supported by a PowerPoint presentation) is available at:
    http://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/nursing_home_administrator/docs/epoc_fac_train.pdf
  3. The ePOC Quick Users Guide is available at:
    http://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/nursing_home_administrator/docs/epoc_quick_users_guide.pdf
  4. The EPOC User Manual is available by clicking on the link below, log into the Health Commerce System, add "Electronic Plan of Correction" to your "My Applications" list, access EPOC and click on "User Manual" in the upper left corner.
    https://commerce.health.state.ny.us/doh2/applinks/epoc/file/renderFacilityUserManual

Send any questions or comments on this topic to PAC-EPOC@health.ny.gov. We look forward to working with you on this initiative to streamline communications between the Department and the health care industry.

Sincerely,

Ruth Leslie
Director
Division of Hospitals and Diagnostic & Treatment Centers