OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nearly 70 percent of adults with behavioral health conditions also have co-occurring physical health issues, according to a study by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. In addition, people with serious mental illness (SMI) in the U.S. die on average 25 years earlier than those without a mental illness. These early deaths are not attributable directly to mental illness, but more often to untreated co-occurring physical health issues such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease.
Netsmart is focused on these serious issues and the need for a coordinated approach to health care at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference and Exhibition April 12-14, 2015 in Chicago (Booth #206).
“There’s growing evidence of the need to treat the ‘whole person’ as a major factor in improving the health both of individuals and larger populations,” said Mike Valentine, chief executive officer at Netsmart, a leading knowledge and technology provider for behavioral health and other health and human services organizations nationwide. “Providing coordinated, integrated care to this high-risk population can enhance outcomes, improve efficiency and lower costs across the entire care process.”
In the ever evolving interoperability landscape, Netsmart and its clients are proactively moving forward with collaborative care coordination initiatives that impact lives daily.
Henderson Behavioral Health, a leading behavioral health provider in south Florida, is receiving comprehensive and confidential emergency room referrals from Memorial Healthcare System. This process ensures a smooth transition of care, reduces time in the emergency room and provides targeted, effective treatment to patients experiencing a behavioral health emergency.
The referral includes key data needed for the Henderson team to provide comprehensive care as soon as the person arrives at the Henderson location. Memorial sends the referrals in the form of a Continuity of Care Document (CCD) from an Epic EHR to a Netsmart CareRecord™ (EHR) used by Henderson. The data transaction is facilitated via Netsmart’s CareConnect™ care coordination solution. Henderson and Memorial will present a session at HIMSS15, “Coordinating Care to Improve Care and Reduce Costs,” on Tuesday, April 14, 4:00-5:00 p.m. CDT.
In Oregon, LifeWorks NW, a behavioral health provider, and Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center are working in conjunction with the Oregon Community Health Information Network (OCHIN) to securely exchange patient health information electronically. The integration uses a standard CCD and occurs through Netsmart’s CareConnect solution. Patient information is integrated from two different EHRs: a Netsmart CareRecord used by LifeWorks NW and an EHR from Epic used by Virginia Garcia. LifeWorks NW staff maintain offices in all Virginia Garcia primary care clinics, while a Virginia Garcia physician also provides services on site at a LifeWorks NW facility. Prior to this initiative, clinicians were unable to electronically access patient records from their counterparts. This direct connection eliminates redundant tasks such as copying, scanning, trading phone calls and transferring paperwork.
In Kansas, Netsmart’s CareManager™ data platform allows 22 behavioral health-centered Health Homes in the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas (ACMHCK) to share information, coordinate care, streamline communication and monitor outcomes for treatment of people with severe mental illness. The technology was implemented in all the Health Homes in a seven week timeframe. The Health Homes are currently supporting approximately 18,000 people receiving services across Kansas.
In addition, the Netsmart CareConnect solution enables behavioral and physical health communities to transmit protected health information in a secure, encrypted and auditable manner to statewide and regional providers through the Kansas Health Information Network Health Information Exchange (HIE). The advantage – more complete medical record data for Kansas patients at the point of care.
About Netsmart
Netsmart is committed to helping health and human services providers deliver effective, outcomes-based care. Netsmart serves more than 20,000 clients across all 50 states, resulting in approximately 450,000 users of its software and technology solutions. Netsmart clients include mental health and addiction services agencies, health homes, psychiatric hospitals, private and group mental health practices, public health departments, social services and child and family services agencies, managed care organizations, and vital records offices.
Netsmart’s CareFabric™, a framework of innovative clinical and business solutions and services, supports integrated, coordinated delivery of health services across the spectrum of care.
Netsmart’s HIT Value Model™, a vendor-agnostic planning and measurement system, provides a path for health and human services organizations to evaluate where on the healthcare IT spectrum they should focus their efforts, the value associated with that strategic decision and a comparison with peer organizations nationwide.
Netsmart is pleased to support the EveryDay Matters Foundation, which was established for behavioral and public health organizations to learn from each other and share their causes and stories. For more information, visit www.everydaymatters.com
Learn more about how Netsmart is changing the face of health care today. Visit www.ntst.com, call 1-800-472-5509, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter, like us on Facebook or visit us on YouTube
CareRecord, CareConnect, CareManager, CareFabric and HIT Value Model are trademarks of Netsmart Technologies, Inc.
