Protect Your Local Hospital

What is a Certificate of Need (CoN)?

A Certificate of Need ("CoN") is a government-issued document that gives permission to a healthcare provider or facility to start a new service or make significant changes to an existing service. The idea behind CoN is to control healthcare costs and prevent duplication of services by making sure that new healthcare facilities or services are needed and will not negatively impact existing healthcare providers or services in the area.

For example, if a hospital wants to build a new wing or add a new service like a cancer treatment center, they may need to apply for a CoN to demonstrate that there is a need for the new facility or service in the community and that it won't negatively impact the existing healthcare providers in the area. The process of obtaining a CoN can involve a lot of paperwork and review by government agencies, and not all healthcare providers or facilities may be able to obtain one.

CoN is an extremely powerful tool, we need you, your community and local legislator to work together to preserve it.