The annual State Medical Facilities Plan (SMFP) makes projections of the health care facilities and services the state will need. The SMFP determines for which services Certificate of Need (CON) applications may be made.
The agency collects data from various sources to make its projections. Some of the sources are license renewal applications; registration and inventory of medical equipment forms; regional kidney organizations; the CON Section; substance abuse data forms; data from Thomson Reuters; and population data from the Office of State Budget and Management.
The process of creating the SMFP includes these steps:
- Holding public hearings to receive comments on the methodologies and policies in the proposed SMFP.
- Receiving and analyzing petitions and comments.
- The State Health Coordinating Council (SHCC) makes recommendations to the governor on a final SMFP. Agency staff planners are part of SHCC's standing committees and special work groups.
The service benefits the qualifying medical projects and the general population of North Carolina.