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New York Medical Record Retention Laws & Finding a Medical Records Custodian in New York

Information for New York Doctors and Hospitals

If you’re getting ready to close your New York medical practice, it’s important to have a clear understanding of medical record retention laws and that you find a professional medical records custodian that you can trust to fulfill records requests after you retire or move on to a different job. Looking for a trusted medical records custodian in New York can be a challenging task. You need to ensure top quality, accuracy, and trusted service.

Desert River Solutions is a leading medical records custodian that provides electronic medical records extraction and document scanning services for medical and dental practices, hospitals, and related businesses. Our medical record management process and medical record storage facilities are HIPAA compliant. We are medical record management experts who convert paper records to electronic forms and assist with electronic health record (EHR) extraction at large volumes. turnaround.

Not sure how to handle New York medical record retention legal requirements after closing your practice? Read on for more information about laws and hiring a custodian of medical records or contact us to learn more today.

New York Medical Records Retention Laws

New York Laws for Minors’ Medical Record Retention

Providers: 

Records of minor patients must be retained until one year after the minor patient reaches the age of eighteen years. 

Hospitals: 

Medical records shall be retained in their original or legally reproduced form for a period of at least six years from the date of discharge or three years after the patient’s age of majority (18 years), whichever is longer, or at least six years after death.

New York Laws for Adults’ Medical Record Retention

Providers: 

All patient records must be retained for at least six years. 

Hospitals: 

Medical records shall be retained in their original or legally reproduced form for a period of at least six years from the date of discharge or three years after the patient’s age of majority (18 years), whichever is longer, or at least six years after death.

Other Laws in New York Related to Medical Record Retention

Obstetrical records must be retained for at least six years.

New York Medical Facility Closure Guidelines

The Department of Health has information for all providers who are seeking approval to close a facility or discontinue services or programs that provide medical care and/or services to individuals in a community-based, residential or acute care (hospice, adult care facilities, nursing homes or hospitals) setting.

Pursuant to Department regulations, the following requirements regarding closures must be met:

  • 120 days prior notice of the intent to close must be provided to the DOH;
  • prior written approval of the closure and the operator’s plan must be obtained from the Director of the Center for Health Care Quality and Surveillance.
  • no announcements or actions related to the proposed closure should be taken prior to receiving approval.
  • each patient, resident, next of kin, physician and sponsor must be notified immediately upon receipt of the Department of Health’s approval in accordance with the Plan approved by the Director of the Center for Health Care Quality and Surveillance;
  • the operator’s closure plan must include, among other things, provision for the maintenance, storage and safekeeping of patient/resident records;
  • the provider’s operating certificate must be promptly surrendered to DOH upon discontinuance of operation with a list of residents and the location to which facility.

Read more on the New York Department of Health Website

New York Medical Record Retention Statutes

If you would like to read the laws in New York pertaining to medical record retention yourself, visit these links:

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Preparing Medical Records for Custodianship in New York

Our medical record custodianship experts provide customized quotes based on your specific needs and the number of patient records or charts you have.

We take patient privacy seriously. Our medical record storage and document scanning solutions are all HIPAA-compliant and we use servers specially encrypted for medical record storage. HIPAA was designed to ensure the confidential handling of health records. All medical records scanning must be done in a manner that is compliant with HIPAA and its privacy regulations.

Because your patient’s records are filled with personal health information (PHI), they must remain private and secure at all times. This is not just a moral obligation to your patients, it’s a legal obligation, and it’s important that you partner with a trusted medical records custodian who can ensure the security of your patients’ record throughout the entire custodianship process. 

Medical Record Custodian Process:

  1. All physical patient files are securely shipped to our facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
  2. We scan your medical records and digitize if needed, and extract patient files from your EMR to house them ourselves.
  3. We create a custom records request landing page on our website for your patients.
  4. You give notice to your patients that we will be the custodian of your medical records, using a template we provide.
  5. You give notice to the New York state medical board that Desert River Solutions is now your custodian of records.
  6. All health information requests go through us as your medical record custodian and you no longer have to do anything!
  7. Patients will be able to sign a request form, send it back securely, and receive any requested medical records in a prompt manner.
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Learn More About Desert River Solutions Medical Records Custodian Services for New York Medical Practices

When a healthcare facility or doctor’s office closes, hiring a custodian of medical records company to manage patient records makes it easier for doctors and staff to go on to their next adventure. In New York, medical records must be retained for a minimum of 6 years. Desert River Solutions makes it easy for you to ensure your patients have access to their medical records for the legally required amount of time.

Contact us today to get a no-obligation quote on medical record custodian services for your New York medical practice.

Legal Disclaimer: the information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.

Learn More About 
DRS Medical Record Custodian Services

When a healthcare facility or doctor’s office closes, hiring a custodian of medical records company to manage patient records makes it easier for doctors and staff to go on to their next adventure. Desert River Solutions makes it easy for you to ensure your patients have access to their medical records for the legally required amount of time.

Contact us today to get a no-obligation quote on medical record custodian services for your medical practice.