Health Commerce System

New Laboratories:

Director HCS Accounts

As part of the New Clinical Laboratory Permit Application, the Director is required to obtain an HCS Account or affiliate an existing HCS account.

Director without a current HCS Account must:

1. Complete and submit the Director HCS Affiliation Request Form to clep@health.ny.gov or fax to 518-485-5414.
2. Wait for the email from camu@its.ny.gov with three pdf document attachments.
3. Read the attachments.
4. Keep a copy of all the documents as they contain a temporary password will be used to activate your account 
5. Complete and notarize the Participant Organization Agreement forms. (Document 1 Schedule 2A for laboratory directors)
6. Mail the original completed Participant Organization Agreement forms to the Commerce Account Management Unit (CAMU) (address on the form).
7. Wait for a letter from CAMU with instructions for activating the HCS account.

Director with a current HCS account must:

1. Complete and submit the Director HCS Affiliation Request Form to clep@health.ny.gov or fax to 518-485-5414.
2. Wait for the email from camu@its.ny.gov with three pdf document attachments.
3. Read the attachments.
4. Keep a copy of all the documents.
5. Complete and notarize the Participant Organization Agreement forms. (Document 1 Schedule 2A for laboratory directors)
6. Mail the original completed Participant Organization Agreement forms to the Commerce Account Management Unit (CAMU) (address on the form).
7. Wait for a letter from CAMU with instructions for activating the HCS account.

Coordinator (HCSC) Accounts:

Director must have affiliated their HCS account with the laboratory prior to requesting an additional Coordinator.  Only after the Director has the roles of Director, Coordinator and Security Coordinator, then begin the process:

Create a New Coordinator without a HCS account (user ID)

1. New User: Go to https://commerce.health.state.ny.us
2. Click Sign Up Here
3. Click No (I am not a licensed medical professional)
4. Click ‘Register for an account’
5. Follow the prompts to complete the submission
6. NOTE: If the new Coordinator is also a new user, then they will receive three confirmation emails: (1) HCS Self Registration Account Created for <userID>, (2) HCS Security Questions and answers have been changed and (3) Congratulations! You are enrolled on the HCS
7. After the HCS user ID has been created, an Existing Coordinator at the laboratory must sign into the Health Commerce System (HCS)
8. Existing Coordinator: Click Coord Account Tools from My Applications list
9. Existing Coordinator: Click on “Request an account for Coordinator” to submit a request.
10. Submission guidance may be found under the column marked “Instructions” “Coordinator”.

Create a New Coordinator with a HCS account (user ID)

1. An Existing Coordinator at the laboratory must sign into the Health Commerce System (HCS)
2. Existing Coordinator: Click Coord Account Tools from My Applications list
3. Existing Coordinator: Click on “Request an account for Coordinator” to submit a request.
4. Submission guidance may be found under the column marked “Instructions” “Coordinator”.

User accounts:

Wait until the director or the HCS Coordinator (HCSC) has obtained and/or affiliated their HCS account with the laboratory.

Licensed Professional with the NYS Education Department

• Go to the HCS Account Application Page for Medical Professionals webpage and follow instructions in the Quick Reference Guide.
• Contact the HCSC for the laboratory and request your account be affiliated with the laboratory.
• The HCSC must enroll/affiliate your HCS account using their Coord Account Tools-HCS under “My Applications” on the HCS, by scrolling to "Request an account for..." and clicking on "User", then following the instructions. The HCSC will need your photo ID to complete this task.   

Individual with valid photo ID (Driver’s License, passport, etc.)

• Go to the HCS Account Application for Non-Medical Professionals webpage and follow instructions in the Quick Reference Guide.
• Contact the HCSC for the laboratory and request your account be affiliated with the laboratory.
• The HCSC must enroll/affiliate your HCS account using their Coord Account Tools-HCS under “My Applications” on the HCS, by scrolling to "Request an account for..." and clicking on "User", then following the instructions. The HCSC will need your photo ID to complete this task.   

HCS Coordinators can also request an account for a user electronically via the HCS Coordinator Tools Page. Note this process requires a notarized document to be returned to the Commerce Accounts Management Unit.

Current NYS Clinical Laboratories:

Director Accounts:

Laboratory directors are required to obtain and/or affiliate, an HCS account as part of the requirements for a clinical laboratory permit. All new directors must follow the process below, even if they already hold an HCS account. It is important to link the HSC account to the new laboratory to obtain access to that laboratory’s information.

1. Submit the director change via eCLEP.

• Article 5, Title V of the New York State Public Health Law specifies that a laboratory permit is void upon a change in laboratory director, owner, or location. All changes in laboratory name, owner name, director, assistant director, ownership, or location must be submitted to the Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program via eCLEP before the change occurs.
• If eCLEP is in Read-Only Mode, please contact CLEP at (518) 485-5378 to request eCLEP be placed back in OPEN (or REAPP) mode for your facility.
• If the laboratory is unable to access eCLEP, meaning there is no one at the laboratory that holds an HCS account with eCLEP permissions, then CLEP must be notified in writing immediately via email to clepcert@health.ny.gov. 

1. Wait for the Directorship acceptance notification letter from the CLEP with the Director HCS Affiliation Request Form attached.
2. Complete and submit the Director HCS Affiliation Request Form to clep@health.ny.gov or 518-485-5414.
3. Wait for an email from camu@its.ny.gov with three PDF document attachments.
4. Read the documents
5. Keep a copy of all the documents.
6. Complete and notarize the Participant Organization Agreement forms. (Document 1 Schedule 2A for laboratory directors)
7. Mail the original completed Participant Organization Agreement forms to the Commerce Account Management Unit (CAMU) (address on the form).
8. Wait for a letter from CAMU with instructions for activating the HCS account.

HCS Coordinator (HCSC) Accounts:

Director must have affiliated their HCS account with the laboratory prior to requesting an additional Coordinator.  Only after the Director has the roles of Director, Coordinator and Security Coordinator, then begin the process:

Create a New Coordinator without a HCS account (user ID)

1. New User: Go to https://commerce.health.state.ny.us
2. Click Sign Up Here
3. Click No (I am not a licensed medical professional)
4. Click ‘Register for an account’
5. Follow the prompts to complete the submission
6. NOTE: If the new Coordinator is also a new user, then they will receive three confirmation emails: (1) HCS Self Registration Account Created for <userID>, (2) HCS Security Questions and answers have been changed and (3) Congratulations! You are enrolled on the HCS
7. After the HCS user ID has been created, an Existing Coordinator at the laboratory must sign into the Health Commerce System (HCS)
8. Existing Coordinator: Click Coord Account Tools from My Applications list
9. Existing Coordinator: Click on “Request an account for Coordinator” to submit a request.
10. Submission guidance may be found under the column marked “Instructions” “Coordinator”.

Create a New Coordinator with a HCS account (user ID)

1. An Existing Coordinator at the laboratory must sign into the Health Commerce System (HCS)
2. Existing Coordinator: Click Coord Account Tools from My Applications list
3. Existing Coordinator: Click on “Request an account for Coordinator” to submit a request.
4. Submission guidance may be found under the column marked “Instructions” “Coordinator”.

User Accounts:

Licensed Professional with the NYS Education Department

• Go to the HCS Account Application for Medical Professionals webpage and follow instructions in the Quick Reference Guide.
• Contact the HCS coordinator (HCSC) for the laboratory and request your account be affiliated with the laboratory.
• The HCSC must enroll/affiliate your HCS account using their Coord Account Tools-HCS under “My Applications” on the HCS, by scrolling to "Request an account for..." and clicking on "User", then following the instructions. The HCSC will need your photo ID to complete this task. 

Individual with valid photo ID (Driver’s License, passport, etc.)

• Go to the HCS Account Application for Non-Medical Professionals and follow instructions in the Quick Reference Guide.
• Contact the HCSC for the laboratory and request your account be affiliated with the laboratory.
• The HCSC must enroll/affiliate your HCS account using their Coord Account Tools-HCS under “My Applications” on the HCS, by scrolling to "Request an account for..." and clicking on "User", then following the instructions. The HCSC will need your photo ID to complete this task. 

HCS Coordinators can also request an account for a user electronically via the HCS Coordinator Tools Page. Note this process requires a notarized document to be returned to the Commerce Accounts Management Unit.

To gain access to the eCLEP application on the HCS, one must have an HCS account (Director, HCSC, or User) that is affiliated with the clinical laboratory record in HCS and delegated submitter status.

By default, a laboratory director that has affiliated their HCS account has automatic access to eCLEP (refer to "Obtaining an HCS Account” above).

All others (HCSC and Users) are required to have the Laboratory Director complete a Delegated Submitter Form and submit it to clep@health.ny.gov or fax to 518-485-5414. The Delegated Submitter will receive a confirmation email from camu@its.ny.gov when your account has been given eCLEP permissions.

• Director HCS Affiliation Form
• Delegated Submitter Form

CAMU is the Commerce Accounts Management Unit of the New York State Department of Health, Health Commerce System.

Delegated Submitter is an individual with written authorization by the Laboratory Directors to electronically enter and submit data via the eCLEP application on the HCS information to the department in lieu of the director.

Director is the individual who can bind the organization with the Department in the Health Commerce System. Please note, electronic request for a change in director through the HCS portal does not constitute notification of a change in director to the department for purposes of the New York State clinical laboratory permit.

eCLEP is the application tool for clinical laboratories to submit changes to the laboratory's operations, complete the annual permit reapplication process, review and respond to laboratory survey reports and designate proficiency testing enrollment.

HCS Coordinator (HCSC) is, in addition to the Director, the individual who has the responsibility and authority to request and manage HCS accounts for additional laboratory staff and manage roles in the Communication Directory.

Health Commerce System (HCS) is a secure online communications system operated by the NYS Department of Health. It supports the exchange of routine and emergency statewide health information by local health departments and health facilities, providers, and practitioners

User is the person who has basic access to the Health Commerce System and can get to non-secure areas.