St. Louis Integrated Health Network Community Referral Coordinator (CRC) Program Recognized for Achievements in Improving Healthcare Efficiency and Effectiveness

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Social Solutions Global, Inc., the leading provider of performance management software for human services, is proud to announce that client St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) has been acknowledged by the Healthy People 2020 initiative for their achievements in coordinating and retaining patient access to primary care through the Community Referral Coordinator (CRC) program.

The Healthy People 2020 initiative, launched in 2010, provides science-based 10-year national goals and objectives for health promotion and disease prevention. IHN was recognized by the Healthy 2020 Initiative at the recommendation of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

The CRC program, which is featured in the Healthy People in Action library, connects patients in hospital emergency departments with primary care providers to increase the likelihood they will receive appropriate care and to reduce dependency on expensive emergency medical services. Using Social Solutions' Efforts to Outcomes (ETO®) software, CRCs track patients, outreach and follow up efforts to improve show improved show rates for follow-up appointments.

As a results of these efforts, according to the Healthy People 2020 initiative, "Between 2008 and 2012, referrals to community health centers tripled. More importantly, the efforts of the CRC program point to clear outcomes, including decreased the no-show rate at follow-up appointments from 75% in the first quarter of 2009 to just over 58% in the fourth quarter of 2013."  These achievements were further validated this week with the naming of IHN as a winner of FOCUS St. Louis' What's Right with the Region! Awards for Fostering Regional Cooperation. The award recognizes organizations that have brought entities together to create a new synergy and improve efficiency and effectiveness.

"We are honored to be recognized for the success of our Community Referral Coordinator Program," said Wil Franklin, Chief Program Officer of the St. Louis Integrated Health network. "The acknowledgement serves as a validation of our efforts to use data-informed practice to improve outcomes and deliver a more efficient and effective healthcare system in our region."

"We are extremely proud to support the St. Louis Integrated Health Network's achievements in creating a more efficient and effective health care system for St. Louis residents, especially the medically underserved," said Social Solutions CEO Scott Johnson. "The fact that they have been recognized by AHRQ and HRSA and featured by the federal Healthy People 2020 initiative speaks to IHN's standing as one of the leading performance-driven healthcare services organizations in the nation."

St. Louis Integrated Health Network is a non-profit organization using collaboration and partnership to ensure quality, accessible and affordable health care to all residents of the greater St. Louis region. Today, the IHN has 20 primary care sites operated by Community Health Center providers in the IHN Health Center Controlled Network that provide comprehensive primary health care to all St. Louis area residents regardless of their insurance status. In partnership with other centers, IHN provides reduced-cost services to patients who are underinsured or do not have insurance plans that qualify. Since its inception, the IHN has gained recognition for its health literacy initiatives, integrated electronic medical records system and health system navigation programs for patients.

Social Solutions Global, Inc., creator of Efforts to Outcomes (ETO®) software, is the leading provider of performance management software for human services agencies, connecting efforts to outcomes, clients to services and service providers to funders. Our mission is to challenge and equip human services agencies to transform good intent into measureable change by relating efforts to outcomes.

Contact:
Chris Frascella, Director, Marketing
[email protected] 
443.460.3460

SOURCE Social Solutions Global, Inc.