Netsmart Technologies Announces Partnership with Health Information Exchange Consulting Firm Object Health
Relationship Adds Key Elements of Governance, Privacy, Security and Policy Development to Netsmartâ??s CareConnectâ?¢ Behavioral Health Information Exchange Solution
Great River, NY (April 22, 2009) – Netsmart Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of
enterprise-wide software and services for health and human services organizations, today announced a partnership agreement with health information exchange (HIE) consulting firm Object Health LLC, led by Lori Hack, MBA, to provide the critical privacy and security policy, business sustainability and governance consulting for customers of Netsmart’s CareConnect(TM) behavioral health information exchange solution for clinical connectivity and integration.
The CareConnect solution is designed to facilitate the secure, integrated sharing of clinical information between behavioral and public health providers, and the primary care providers involved in a consumer’s treatment. The CareConnect solution can serve as the foundation for state mental health agencies and community and private mental health services organizations to connect and share clinical information with each other, and additionally connect to primary care HIEs or regional health information organizations (RHIOs) through a single connection to the CareConnect solution.
Object Health will provide expertise and customer-specific assistance related to HIE development and operation, including governance structures, security and privacy policies and business sustainability models.
“Lori Hack’s first-hand, strategic experience with health information exchanges is a valuable addition to our CareConnect offering,” said James L. Conway, chief executive officer, Netsmart Technologies. “We’re pleased to add Lori’s expertise to our behavioral health-specific solution that can facilitate connectivity between and among providers of care and serve as the foundation for national behavioral health information exchange.”
Hack is principal and chief executive officer of Object Health LLC, a California-based management consulting company that assists health care organizations and communities with leveraging health information to improve operational efficiencies and clinical health outcomes. She previously served as interim CEO for the California Regional Health Information Organization (CalRHIO) and executive director for Health Technology Center (HealthTech). She serves as program liaison for the California Privacy and Security Advisory Board and as a member of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) Privacy Expert Panel. Hack was program manager for the State of California technology initiative in the area of Mental Health Information Technology through the California Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). Object Health also provides consulting services to the Long Beach Network for Health, a National Health Information Network contractor.
“I’m pleased to be affiliated with Netsmart, which serves behavioral health’s largest provider community, including state systems, community mental health and private practices,” said Hack. “Netsmart is
uniquely positioned to help behavioral health organizations participate in HIEs, a requirement for federal economic stimulus funding under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA).”
The CareConnect solution was developed for the unique clinical requirements of behavioral health, and features a version of the Continuity of Care Document (CCD) modified to support behavioral health constructs like multi-axial diagnosis and treatment care plans while still supporting adherence to the CCD specification standard. Regardless of the EHR software they use, providers can use this new standard to connect and share data. If they do not have an EHR, they can use the CareConnect Web portal to connect and communicate.
“Connecting and sharing data is a key requirement for federal stimulus funding of healthcare information technology projects,” said Conway. “Connecting to an HIE would satisfy that requirement, and we’re pleased to provide a specific solution that can effectively help behavioral healthcare organizations connect to and participate in HIEs to enhance quality of care.”
Source: Netsmart
