Requirements for Newborn Infant Hearing Screening – N.Y. Pub. Health Law § 2500-g

Administrators of hospitals that care for infants must ensure that newborns are screened for hearing problems prior to discharge or receive a referral for hearing screening. Facilities must report the screening results to the Commissioner as well as any instances when screening did not occur. The Commissioner may require, by regulation, facilities to include additional information in these reports. 

Persons that conduct hearing screening, outside of a hospital, on infants or children under six months old must report the screening results to the Commissioner and any other information that the Commissioner requires by regulation.

The department must maintain the hearing screening information in a statewide system accessible by the following individuals or entities: (1) The commissioner of health, New York City’s commissioner of health and mental hygiene, and local health departments in relation to “outreach, quality improvement and accountability, research, and epidemiological studies and disease control” efforts; (2) Licensed health care professionals so they may assess the screening and treatment needs of children in their care and enter data into the system; (3) Hospitals so they may assess the screening needs of infants in their facility and enter data into the system; (4) Third party payers in relation to “quality assurance, accountability and outreach” efforts; (5) Local social service district commissioners in relation to children in their legal custody. 

Newborn screening information obtained and held by the department is confidential. The department may only disclose the information as specified above and parents may obtain a copy of their child’s screening results from the hospital or physician that conducted the screening or the statewide system.