Top 10 healthcare organizations issuing certificates of need

If you sell into the healthcare market, you’ve likely run into certificates of need (CONs). Definitive Healthcare tracks data on CONs to provide you with the healthcare commercial intelligence required to identify new opportunities and understand the marketplace.

What is a certificate of need (CON)?

A certificate of need (CON) is a legal document required in many states or federal jurisdictions prior to making proposed changes to any new or existing facility. The proposed change could include: 

• Renovating an existing healthcare facility
• Closing an existing healthcare facility 
• Changing the ownership of a healthcare facility 
• Adding a new healthcare service, or removing an existing service, or 
• Acquiring major medical equipment

As of December 2021, 35 states and Washington, D.C. operate a CON program. In states where CONs are required for some or all of the above changes, healthcare facilities must submit their certificate for approval before proceeding with any modifications.

CONs are tracked for their entire lifetime, from initial application to a decision. Definitive Healthcare has information on nearly 14,000 CONs. The oldest CON in Definitive Healthcare’s CON search has an application date from September 1989, while the most recent is from January 2022.

What healthcare organizations issue the most certificates of need? 

Hospitals, dialysis centers and home health care services all appear on the top 10 list of healthcare organizations issuing the most CONs.   

Strong Memorial Hospital has issued the most CONs, mainly for renovations or expansions of their existing facilities. Bronx Dialysis Center came in second for certification of new dialysis centers, while Intramed Plus came in third for establishing home infusing services in different counties in South Carolina.