Crescendo has conducted Health Equity Impact Assessments (HEIA) for a number of health care organizations as part of the Certificate of Need (CON) for the State of New York pursuant to Public Health Law (PHL) §2802-b which went into effect June 22, 2023.
The HEIA requirement is intended to ensure that proposed health care facility projects do not negatively impact the delivery of care for medically underserved populations. As part of this process, HEIAs help evaluate whether a proposed project may increase health equity or contribute to existing health disparities.
As an independent entity, Crescendo leads an objective process to solicit meaningful engagement from the CON Applicant, community leaders, community-based organizations, and, most importantly, representatives of medically underserved communities.
Our team understands the regulatory expectations associated with New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Certificate of Need submissions and helps Applicants conduct credible, well-documented engagement that can be incorporated into HEIA submissions and other supporting materials required for CON reviews.
Who Is This For?
Certificate of Need (CON) applications are required under certain circumstances for the establishment, ownership, construction, renovation, or change in service of health care facilities across New York State. Projects that may require a Health Equity Impact Assessment can include:
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- General hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Diagnostic and treatment centers
- Midwifery birthing centers
- Ambulatory surgery centers
You can learn more about New York State’s CON process here: https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/cons/
Our Approach
Crescendo leverages our years of experience in community engagement in a wide range of settings, from urban to rural, and people, from clients to CEOs, to hear their stories and summarize findings in clear, usable reports. This includes:
- Primary qualitative research with people with lived and living experiences in accessing care of all types. For HEIAs, we focus on one-on-one interviews and survey distribution. This balance between intimate conversations, and surveys that can be taken any time, anywhere, provides flexibility and convenience to ensure we capture a meaningful variety of voices from communities that may be affected by proposed health care facility changes.
- Secondary data collection and analysis of patient demographics and American Community Survey data to better understand the universe of diverse needs within a health care facility’s service area.
- Reports with clear, well-researched, well-cited narratives that summarize findings, and provide unbiased reporting on which, if any, medically underserved groups could be impacted by a proposed project with suggestions for any mechanisms or measures could be put in place by the Applicant to address the findings for potentially impacted medically underserved groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Healthy Equity Impact Assessment?
A Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA) evaluates how a proposed health care project may affect access to care for medically underserved populations. In New York State, HEIAs are required as part of certain Certificate of Need (CON) applications submitted to the New York State Department of Health.
Why are HEIAs required by New York State?
The HEIA requirement was established through Public Health Law §2802-b to ensure that proposed health care facility projects are evaluated for their potential impact on health equity. The goal is to prevent unintended consequences that could worsen health disparities.
Who conducts a Health Equity Impact Assessment?
HEIAs are conducted by an independent entity that engages community stakeholders, analyzes relevant data, and documents findings related to potential equity impacts. Crescendo provides independent HEIA support for organizations preparing CON submissions.
How long do Health Equity Impact Assessments take to complete?
Crescendo can complete an HEIA within four weeks as needed, but the typical length of project from start to finish is about eight weeks.