NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Safety Net Connect (SNC), a leading provider of innovative web-based healthcare solutions for organizations assisting underserved populations, announced that it has been selected by Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) and Weitzman Institute (WI) as the eConsult provider for the New England eConsult Network (NEECN).
After an extensive national review and selection process, SNC’s eConsult has been chosen as the premier telehealth system to power the newly launched NEECN, which will serve to integrate specialty care into the primary care setting along the East Coast in partnership with the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) and Penobscot Community Health Care of Maine.
An initial WI pilot of SNC’s eConsult demonstrated 69% of cases being resolved in the primary care office without the need for a face-to-face specialty visit. This is an especially important outcome for NEECN as it strives to provide cost-effective, quality care for underinsured and underserved patients, many of whom live in rural areas with limited access to specialty care and long wait times for appointments.
SNC’s eConsult will enable NEECN primary care physicians to consult with specialists across New England via a web-based interface at their convenience. With a secure, structured exchange of information and peer-to-peer discussion of patient needs, SNC’s eConsult will facilitate the delivery of specialty care within NEECN primary care offices. In addition, eConsult will allow for faster, more qualified specialty referrals for the patients who need them.
“This collaboration validates the important role of eConsultation in the care continuum of telehealth services,” said Chris Cruttenden, President of SNC. “We are excited to play a part in the transformation of specialty care delivery within this pioneering group of mission-driven New England-based healthcare organizations.”
“Our evaluation and pilot of several eConsult offerings allowed us to closely examine which system would best fit for our population’s needs,” said Daren Anderson, MD, Director of WI and VP/Chief Quality Officer of CHC. “Safety Net Connect’s eConsult was the clear choice. We are delighted to embark on this journey together, as we strive to bring high quality specialty care to underserved patients within their medical homes.”
About Community Health Center
Since 1972, Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) 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 130,000 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.
About Weitzman Institute
Weitzman Institute (WI) is dedicated to promoting quality health care for CHC’s 130,000 patients receiving care across the state of Connecticut in over 200 service locations. The Institute promotes quality improvement and practice redesign in health care and research that helps answer critical questions arising in day-to-day practice of primary care. Research and improvement work conducted at the Institute are focused on areas such as telehealth, health disparities, chronic diseases, and performance improvement. WQI is the first of its kind established in the U.S. by a Federally Qualified Health Center.
About Safety Net Connect
Since 2009, Safety Net Connect (SNC) has partnered with public and private organizations to provide a multitude of successful and nationally recognized web-based healthcare solutions for underserved and safety net populations. SNC’s innovative solutions have reached over 5 million patients from clients such as Los Angeles Department of Health Services, MedPoint, LA Care, Orange County Healthcare Agency, CalOptima, San Diego Healthcare Agency, and Cook County MHN (an Illinois Medicaid Project).
