BILL NUMBER: S1716

SPONSOR: BROUK
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to community health
assessment reporting

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends section 602-a of the Public Health Law to
amend the frequency of the community health assessment.

Section 2 of the bill is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:  Article 6 of NYS Public Health Law requires local
health departments (LHDs) to complete a community health assessment
(CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). To fulfill this
requirement, LHDs collect input from local community members, review
locally collected public health data and collect information from stake-
holders to inform the priority health needs of the jurisdiction they
serve. The CHIP plan outlines actionable interventions that will be
              

implemented to improve health outcomes. Partners involved in this proc-
ess include hospitals, community-based organizations, businesses, local
agencies (e.g. mental health, social services, offices of the aging).
LHDs commonly work with non-profit hospitals who are required by the IRS
to complete similar plans due to their non-profit status. Because LHDs
and hospitals are required to complete these plans, and they hold vested
interest in the health of communities, it is common to see hospitals and
LHDs complete regional or local collaborative plans.

The current challenge for the statutorily mandated frequency of the
community health assessment process includes misalignment with the State
Health Improvement Plan (NYS Prevention Agenda) process, lack of time
for implementation of interventions and programs designed to address the
community health priorities, lack of time to evaluate measurable
outcomes from interventions between assessments and demand on resources
that are focused on the assessment rather than on the community health
improvement plan interventions.

This change will align the community health assessment with the New York
State Prevention Agenda, allow more time to focus on implementation of
effective interventions and a continuous evaluation of changes in
metrics and a reduction of resources that need to be expended to develop
plans.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S9650 Referred to Health.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.