NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Safety Net Connect (SNC), a leading provider of innovative web-based healthcare technology for organizations assisting underserved populations, announced today that the company’s award-winning eConsult technology will be used by Connecticut-based Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) and CHC’s research arm, the Weitzman Institute, in a ground-breaking telehealth network to assist New Mexico school-based health centers (SBHCs) in bringing quality specialty care services to underprivileged children in remote areas of the state. The new program has been funded through a $1.1 million award by the federal HRSA Telehealth Network Grant Program.
SNC’s eConsult technology, which is used extensively by public and private healthcare organizations across the nation, will provide unprecedented access to specialty care for high-risk children in New Mexico’s frontier areas by facilitating web-based communications between SBHC providers and specialty care providers in the areas of behavioral health, cardiology, endocrinology and pulmonology.
“While the Affordable Care Act has greatly improved healthcare access for children – those living in rural areas with limited specialist availability still face substantial inequity,” says Chris Cruttenden, President of SNC. “The New Mexico SBHC program is especially significant, as it marks the inaugural application of SNC’s eConsult technology within an exclusively youth-based population, paving the way for quality healthcare services for all children, regardless of geographic location.”
“SNC’s extensive work within rural populations throughout the country makes their eConsult technology the perfect tool for this new initiative,” says Mark Masselli, CHC’s President and CEO. “We are excited to partner with a mission-driven organization like SNC to bring specialty care to the underserved children of New Mexico.”
SNC’s eConsult platform provides high quality specialty advice at a patient’s local clinic within 48 hours. Published outcomes demonstrate shorter specialty care wait times, reduction in the need for face-to-face specialty visits and travel, reduced emergency room utilization, and lower costs while maintaining high quality of care. As part of the New Mexico SBHC program, CHC will track program success through outcomes measurement in behavioral health, obesity, diabetes and asthma.
About Community Health Center
Since 1972, Community Health Center, Inc. has been one of the leading healthcare providers in the state of Connecticut, building a world-class primary health care system committed to caring for uninsured and underserved populations. CHC is focused on improving health outcomes for its more than 150,000 patients as well as building healthy communities. Recognized as both a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance and a Primary Care Medical Home by The Joint Commission, CHC delivers service in more than 200 locations statewide, offering primary care in medical, dental and behavioral health services. For more information, visit www.chc1.com
About Safety Net Connect
Since 2009, Safety Net Connect (SNC) has been a leading creator of healthcare technology that makes it easier for providers and institutions to increase access to care, streamline care coordination, promote evidence-based practices, and improve quality. With a mission to improve health equity, SNC has helped public and private healthcare organizations across the nation successfully reach over 5 million low-income, underserved individuals with affordable, effective patient-centered care. For more information, please visit www.safetynetconnect.com
