Family and Children's Service's 211-Nashville Health Navigator to Use MyHealthDIRECT to Support Better Access to Healthcare for Clients

BROOKFIELD, Wis., June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MyHealthDIRECT announced today that its flagship Web-based healthcare service solution has been selected for use in the health navigator program offered by Nashville's 211 Call Center.  In Nashville, 211 is a program operated by Family and Children's Service with funding from and in partnership with United Way to assist those in need with high-quality information and referrals to community resources.  The health navigator program is staffed by individuals trained to assess need, manage people's access of healthcare services, and schedule callers in need of healthcare with the appropriate healthcare providers in real time to help resolve issues and defuse personal crises.  The health navigator position is funded through Ascension Health, of which Saint Thomas Health in Nashville is a member.

The addition of the MyHealthDIRECT application will enable the health navigator to immediately connect callers with available healthcare providers in Nashville who can provide appropriate resources and care to address the individual's specific needs. With MyHealthDIRECT the health navigator will have access to a management system that seamlessly schedules patients with healthcare appointments throughout a community or network.  The 211 Call Center, using MyHealthDIRECT, will be able to organize and search available provider appointment slots and book appointments for its callers.  

MyHealthDIRECT CEO and founder Jay Mason stated, "We are very pleased to partner with Family & Children's Service and 211, with support from Ascension Health, to streamline the delivery of this vital service and reduce barriers that often prevent individuals from accessing the care they need."

The 211 Call Center provides 24/7 support to callers and their families by providing access to an array of resources and services to anyone in the region. Last year, the center answered just shy of 150,000 calls for help and provided almost 250,000 referrals to 1,859 agencies that provide assistance in the region.  Of those calls, approximately 14,000 callers were seeking healthcare-related assistance.

With the MyHealthDIRECT solution, the 211 health navigator will be able to not only manage and track callers, their circumstances and resolutions internally, but also immediately schedule appointments for callers at the appropriate provider's nearest location, provide transportation information (directions and/or public transit options), offer language options, and issue appointment reminders to ensure the appointment is kept or rescheduled. Family and Children's Service CEO Michael McSurdy stated, "Collaboration among MyHealthDIRECT, local healthcare providers and 211 can only improve access to and support in accessing healthcare for the clients."

Across the country, MyHealthDIRECT's Web-based solution helps healthcare organizations improve access to care, facilitate care management and improve quality measures. The platform is easy to implement and use, enabling organizations to quickly put MyHealthDIRECT to work within any practice environment to find open and available healthcare appointments in the community to meet patients' needs.

For more information, visit www.myhealthdirect.com.

About MyHealthDIRECT

MyHealthDIRECT is a national health services company that connects hospitals, care management organizations, public agencies and community collaboratives for the purpose of scheduling timely and appropriate healthcare appointments on behalf of individuals. Founded in 2005, MyHealthDIRECT offers a web-based solution that organizes open and available healthcare appointments in the community into a searchable and schedulable inventory of healthcare services. The MyHealthDIRECT solution promotes continuity of care, reduces unnecessary cost and utilization and ensures that patients are scheduled with appointments that best fit their needs and preferences. For more information on MyHealthDIRECT please visit www.myhealthdirect.com.

About Family & Children's Service

Nashville, TN-based Family & Children's Service aims to strengthen families, children and individuals to achieve self-sufficiency, family preservation and emotional well-being through a wide range of programs in a Strength & Systems Based Service Philosophy. This approach emphasizes each client's internal strengths, talents and potential to help cultivate resilience in the wake of trauma, abuse and other obstacles through client-oriented services and collaborative therapy provided within the context of each clients' unique life environment and experience. For more information, visit www.fcsnashville.org.

About Ascension Health

Ascension Health is transforming healthcare by providing the highest quality care to all, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Ascension Health provided more than $1 billion in care of persons who are poor and community benefit last year and is the nation's largest Catholic and nonprofit health system.  Its Mission-focused Health Ministries employ 113,000 associates serving in more than 500 locations in 20 states and the District of Columbia.   For more information, visit www.ascensionhealth.org.

SOURCE MyHealthDIRECT