Compliance and Audit Oversight Committee Charter

I. Mission:

In keeping with SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s (Downstate) commitment to conduct its business in an ethical and sound manner, in compliance with applicable regulations, policies and procedures, the Compliance and Audit Oversight Committee (“CAOC”) has been established.  The CAOC is an executive committee with a mission to guide the compliance and audit activities of the Campus and to proactively strengthen the internal control environment. 

II. Committee Composition:

1. The Vice President of Compliance and Audit shall be the Committee Chairperson.
2. The Committee membership shall include:                              

Downstate's President, University Counsel and Senior Administrators representing each entity at Downstate.

III. Committee Members Attributes:

1. Committee members should collectively possess the following:
   1. Knowledge of Downstate's mission
   2. Independence and objectivity
   3. Sufficient time to serve
   4. Operational expertise
   5. Financial and health care reimbursement expertise
   6. Clinical expertise
   7. Regulatory expertise
   8. Internal control expertise
   9. Legal expertise
   10. Working knowledge of Federal Sentencing Guidelines (i.e., education, training, auditing, monitoring and corrective action)

IV. Meeting Requirements:

1. The Committee will meet quarterly
2. Where possible, the agenda will be distributed in advance
3. Minutes will be documented and distributed following the meeting

V. Committee's Primary Responsibilities:

The Committee will review the overall regulatory, risk, and internal control environment in order to provide reasonable assurance of compliance with Federal and State laws, policies and procedures.  To that end, the Office of Compliance and Audit Services (“OCAS”) will develop a Compliance and Audit Annual Work Plan (hereafter “Annual Work Plan”) which will be submitted to the CAOC at the beginning of each fiscal year.  The CAOC will review and approve the Annual Work Plan.  The committee will assess the effectiveness of the Compliance and Audit Programs that support the Campus activities including, but not limited to; education/training, assessments/auditing, corrective action, and monitoring.  Under the general direction of the President and the Chief Compliance Officer, the committee will take action, as appropriate, to strengthen the Compliance and Audit programs.