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Certificate of Public Need
What is a Certificate of Public Need?
The Certificate of Public Need (COPN) process is the decision process healthcare organizations must go through when seeking to build a new hospital, relocating inpatient beds and adding operating rooms, radiation therapy equipment, or advanced imaging technology to new or existing sites.
Why do you have to request one from the State?
The COPN program seeks to ensure that residents have access to needed services while avoiding unnecessary, costly duplication of services. Hospital projects are analyzed on a Planning District basis. In our case, we are part of Planning District 20, an area that includes Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Isle of Wight, Southampton and Franklin.
What role does the public hearing play?
An important part of the Certificate of Public Need (COPN) review process is a public hearing. A public hearing is held by the regional health planning agency, the Eastern Virginia Health Systems Agency (EVHSA). A member of the EVHSA Board presides over the hearing, which is an open public meeting.
The purpose of the public hearing is to allow the applicant to describe the project and to allow members of the public to comment on the project. Comments from the public are taken into account in the review of the COPN application. A report will be developed by the regional health planning agency staff. This report will be reviewed by the EVHSA Board. The Board will meet on October 9 to make its recommendation on the project.
How does the Commissioner of Health make a decision?
The Commissioner of Health makes the final decision using criteria developed to determine if there is a public need for the project:
 Relationship of the project to the long term health care state plan
Need for enhanced facilities to serve the population of an area
Extent to which the project is accessible to all residents in the proposed area
Immediate economic impact and financial feasibility of the project.
Does everyone get approved?
No. Approvals are made based on the Commissioner’s evaluation of the above criteria.
What happens if you do not get approved?
If an application is not approved, the healthcare organization may reapply in the next COPN cycle.
What steps does the process follow?
A new application cycle for hospitals begins each year in both June and December. The dates below follow the current 2007 cycle in progress.
Letter of Intent filing deadline - June 1
COPN application deadline - July 2
Responses to completeness review questions - August 6
Public Hearings - September 11
HSA Board Meeting - October 9
DCOPN Staff Recommendation - October 19
Informal Fact-Finding Conference (if necessary) - Potentially November 14-16
Health Commissioner's Decision - December 8 (or later)
What can I do to help?
Support Sentara Princess Anne Hospital
Support the expansion of Sentara Obici Hospital
Have a question or comment?
Send us an email.
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