United States
Canada
The Toronto Central (TC) LHIN in partnership with SIMS, announced today they will leverage the innovation and results achieved through the Strata PathWays™ Solution by expanding its use across all Community Support and Mental Health and Addictions Services (MH&AS). Strata PathWays™ is the industry-leading Resource Matching and Referral (RM&R) Solution in use across the TC LHIN and much of Canada.
By March 2011, 7 organizations currently using Strata PathWays™ will send electronic referrals to the 34 Community Navigation Access Program (CNAP) agencies that provide a range of seniors services across Toronto including Adult Day Programs, Meals on Wheels, and Transportation services. CNAP aims to ensure that “every door leads to service”. The technology will take advantage of recently redesigned processes, a new community Minimum Data Set and geographical Community Hubs which will streamline and centralize access. Expansion will continue in 2011 across the remaining Community Support Services serving Seniors. Future expansion to Community Mental Health Agencies has been proposed.
“By connecting Hospitals and the CCAC to Community Support agencies, we are one important step closer to a more integrated health care system. This will be a first in the TC LHIN and will result in better navigation and more timely and coordinated access for our clients,” remarked Stacey Daub, CEO of the Toronto Central CCAC.
“We are thrilled about this announcement. In the past, Acute Care and CCAC Coordinators were challenged to know the eligibility criteria of all Community Support Services for seniors and to determine which agency could best meet the client’s complex needs. There was also little feedback about referrals received and confirmation of secured services. With Strata PathWays’ sophisticated matching logic, sending agencies will now know which agencies can provide the client with the needed services. The system will enable referrals to be sent to one or more agencies, all with a click of a mouse. And all the senders and receivers will know the status of the referral. This is progressive,” stated Jane Piccolotto, Woodgreen Community Services, the lead agency for CNAP.
Strata PathWays™ has been recognized as a MH&A leading best practice (VIHA 2009 CCHSA Accreditation), and was awarded the 2008 COACH Award for Innovation in the Adoption of Health Information and 2010 HEABC Award of Merit for Top Informatics Innovation.
About Toronto Central LHIN
The Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TC LHIN) is responsible for planning, coordinating and funding key health services in central Toronto for approximately 1.14 million people. A total of 177 health service providers are funded including hospitals, the Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre, community support services, Community Health Centres, mental health and addiction agencies and long term care homes. In addition to service local community, health service providers in the TC LHIN provide specialized services to a large number of Ontarians who live in other LHINs.
About the SIMS Partnership
Established in 2004, Shared Information Management Services (SIMS) is the information management and technology group that is shared between seven health care organizations in the Greater Toronto Area. SIMS works on integrating projects across the partnership, helping health care workers deliver care that is centred on the patient regardless of where the care is delivered. The partners work together to increase electronic charting capability, streamline and standardize referral processes and improve the use of information to support patient safety, better access to care and more optimal use of health care resources. The group works on integrating projects spanning the acute, rehabilitation, complex continuing, long-term and community care sectors. Moving forward, the SIMS Partnership continues to leverage information management and information technology as a key enabler for health system improvement by focusing on enhancing patient outcomes and quality of care delivery, improving access to care across the continuum and achieving greater efficiencies and economies of scale.
About Strata Health
Strata Health leverages technology to achieve dramatic patient flow improvement within health systems. Our clients say they’ve entrusted us with the job of creating patient flow solutions that achieve real and dramatic benefits for patients, their families and the world’s devoted front line caregivers. Operational in Canada and the UK, Strata Health is a privately-held Canadian corporation. It is comprised of professionals with empathy for those who need care and intense respect for those who devote themselves to caring for others.
Strata PathWays™ is an online, real-time waitlist optimization system practically improving the patient experience and system access. Connected to care providers in the community, it provides front line clinicians with real-time tools to flow appropriate discharging patients to available bed and program openings. The e-Referral system radically reduces the time that patients occupy acute care beds after they have been assessed for discharge into alternative community programs – now including Mental Health & Addictions, Rehabilitation/Sub-Acute, Home Care, Continuing Care Centers, Assisted Living, Palliative, Physiotherapy, Community Support and Adult Day Programs.