Safety
Net Connect (SNC), a leading provider of innovative healthcare
technology solutions, is pleased to announce that the Los
Angeles County Department of Health Services (LADHS) has delivered
over 1,000,000 eConsults using the Converge,
next-generation eConsult technology, from SNC. This unprecedented
milestone marks the scale, efficacy and success of LADHS’ agency-wide
initiative in delivering rapid access to coordinated care for the
county’s diverse safety net community.
“We’re harnessing technology to facilitate more collaborative,
effective, and efficient care,” explains Dr. Hal Yee, MD, PhD, Chief
Medical Officer, LADHS. “This is a notable achievement in health
information technology – and represents a true transformation in our
nation’s model of healthcare delivery.”
Inspired by the eReferral technology developed at San Francisco General
Hospital by Dr. Yee, the LADHS eConsult platform initially launched with
just two specialties and only 53 eConsults in July of 2012. Since then
the program has expanded to include a panel of 600 specialist reviewers
across 64 specialties, responding to an average of 20,000 eConsults
requests each month. Notably, the LADHS eConsult initiative has
dramatically improved access to quality care for the county’s safety net
community, with an overall reduction of 50% in wait times for many DHS
specialties since the program’s initiation.
“The eConsult program had almost immediate buy-in which led to rapid
adoption and expansion,” shared Stanley Dea, MD, Director of eConsult,
LADHS. “The short time it took us to reach a million eConsults is
testimony to continued value to all our users. We anticipate
continued improvement of the platform over the next million eConsults.”
LADHS is the second largest municipal health system in the United
States, with a vast delivery network using the eConsult platform across
diverse care settings, including: county hospitals and clinics,
providers in both rural and urban communities, jails, and juvenile
courts. Longitudinal studies of the LADHS initiative have demonstrated consistent,
sustainable rapid access to specialty care
– and the program has been recognized
for dramatically improving the quality of patient-centered specialty care.
About Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second
largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its integrated
system of 24 health centers and four hospitals – and expanded network of
community partner clinics – DHS annually provides direct care for over
500,000 unique patients and employs over 22,000 staff. In 2015, the
County Departments of Health Services, Public Health, and Mental Health
were integrated under a Health Agency Model to meet the County’s most
pressing health needs. For additional information, please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov.
About Safety Net Connect
Since 2009, Safety Net Connect (SNC) has been a leading creator of
innovative healthcare technology that makes it easier for providers and
institutions to increase access to care, streamline care coordination,
promote evidence-based practices, and improve quality. With a mission to
improve health equity, SNC has helped public and private healthcare
organizations across the nation successfully reach millions of
low-income, underserved individuals with affordable, effective
patient-centered care. For more information, please visit www.safetynetconnect.com.
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