Netsmart and Cornerstones of Care Shatter Traditional Client-Vendor Roles

It’s amazing what wonderful things can be accomplished when we work together. The alliance between Netsmart and Kansas City-based Cornerstones of Care is an example of two organizations that are achieving positive outcomes through collaboration and by rethinking traditional client-vendor relationship roles. Cornerstones of Care’s Electronic Health Record Director Justin Horton says that by redefining these roles with Netsmart, “We were able to move our EHR foundation forward 10 years in only 10 months’ time.”

For Horton, there’s no reason the connection between technology and healthcare providers should be complicated. “The relationship should be synchronized, coordinated and efficient,” he says. That thinking is what lead to an ongoing partnership in 2015 between the two groups, with the underlying goal to positively impact the health and well-being of children and families.  Little did they know they would shatter and reconstruct the client-vendor relationship for the better.

Cornerstones of Care’s Justin Horton and Netsmart’s Bryan Backenstoss presented the unique relationship between the organizations at the Alliance for Strong Families & Communities Senior Leadership Conference on Feb. 19 in Clearwater, Florida.

Back from #HIMSS17: A Recap

More than a mile of exhibits greeted 40,000 individuals at HIMSS17 on February 19-23 in Orlando, Fla. In the three days the exhibit hall was opened, Netsmart welcomed attendees from across the globe to learn more about how we integrate care across communities with conversations focusing around population health, care coordination and interoperability. Guest had the opportunity to participate in Netsmart demonstrations and chat with associates about how Netsmart’s solutions can meet their ever changing needs.

#himss17 @netsmarttech #integrating care across #communities #WholePersonCare pic.twitter.com/b5kpgbsJsT

— Carol Reynolds (@CarolJoReynolds) February 19, 2017

We're so glad we got to connect with so many of you today at booth 967. See you tomorrow! #HIMSS17 #NTST #EmpowerHIT pic.twitter.com/UWPAPTld1s

— Netsmart (@NetsmartTech) February 20, 2017

Blockchain: One Way to Accelerate Interoperability

Healthcare providers face two opposing constraints. They need to be able to share information about a person quickly, so they can provide the best treatment and avoid
errors. At the same time, they have to protect the person’s confidentiality and keep the information secure. Achieving both is a balance of find form and function in design. In my previous post on Blockchain technology I shared thoughts on the potential and possibilities. Here is my perspective on a path and some specific thoughts on how blockchain can be used to make healthcare safer, more accessible and secure.

Netsmart Celebrates Grace Murray Hopper – Grand Lady of Software

At Netsmart we like to make sure we keep the foundation of our industry fresh in our minds each and every day. What better way to keep our eyes on the future by seeing what has been established for us in the past?

As part of our effort to celebrate great innovators in health and computer sciences, we took the opportunity to name meeting rooms at our Kansas City headquarters after various industry visionaries. Included in this prestigious group is the one and only Navy Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992), a remarkable pioneer who not only contributed to the foundation of computing but also helped pave the way for women in technology. Let’s find out what earned her the nickname, “Amazing Grace.”

From a young girl who enjoyed taking apart clocks to a distinguished Yale alum to a Navy Rear Admiral, Hopper was destined to leave her mark in technology. She dedicated herself to public service and engineering, both male-dominated fields. She was fiercely dedicated to her work and her accomplishments proved she was more than capable for the job.

She was one of the first to foreshadow the impact computers would make in everyday life – certainly ahead of her time. Hopper was one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer and also helped develop the Mark II and III computers. She was also responsible for the first computer language compiler and the precursor to the COBOL programming language. If you’ve ever heard of the term “bug” in technology, you can thank Grace Murray Hopper and the single moth that caused her hardware trouble.

A brief description of Hopper’s accomplishments hangs on the wall of the room bearing her name. Perhaps she can inspire or create the spark needed to fuel creativity and ingenuity for the next industry pioneer? Who knows, maybe our next room could be named after one of our associates!

Ultimately, Navy Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper truly lived up to her nickname and was simply amazing. If it weren’t for the the invaluable contributions of individuals like her and all of our Netsmart associates, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Stay tuned for more healthcare and IT pioneers that are featured across our campus.

Netsmart and HIMSS17: What to Expect

The HIMSS17 Conference and Exhibition is just around the corner! From February 19-23, join Netsmart and thousands of health and IT professionals from across the globe to learn about and advance the future of healthcare technology. We will be showcasing how Netsmart can help you take the right steps to integrate care across all healthcare communities. We’ll show you how we’re already connecting behavioral health and post-acute care to the rest of healthcare and the impact it has had to patient care.

Where to find Netsmart:

Find us at booth #967 where we will be revealing how we take steps to integrate care across communities with our electronic healthcare record (EHR) systems. We will have demonstrations available for you to see how we’re connecting behavioral health and post-acute care, including long-term care, home health and hospice to the rest of healthcare.

Don’t miss your chance to talk with industry experts about your organizations biggest interoperability challenges and learn how we can help you get connected to the rest of the healthcare ecosystem. Click here to schedule a demo at our booth.

Stop by our booth not only to rest your feet, charge your mobile devices, and learn more about Netsmart, but you can also enter to win a Fitbit Alta!

Breakout showcases and sessions:

Netsmart will be featured in the Interoperability Showcase which follows a fictional patient through the care continuum across various communities. You’ll see how HIT companies are working together to ensure information flows seamlessly across all care settings to ensure the best outcome for the patient You won’t want to miss it! #EmpowerHIT

Exhibit and Interoperability Showcase Hours at Exhibit Hall (Booth #967) and Interoperability Showcase (Booth #9000):

• Monday 2/20 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Tuesday 2/21 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
• Wednesday 2/22 9:30 am – 4:00 pm

Our partners at InterSystems are hosting a presentation about unstructured data with Netsmart’s Senior Vice-President of Innovations, Matthew Arnheiter and Mental Health Center of Denver’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer Wes Williams, Ph.D. from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Monday, 2/20 at the InterSystem booth #1561.

Connect and share:

We want to hear from you! Throughout the week, tag us in your favorite HIMSS17 moments with us on Twitter (@NetsmartTech) or Facebook (/Netsmart). Make sure to include #HIMSS17 and #NTST in your posts!

More than just an EHR, Netsmart is committed to connecting all aspects of healthcare with a central focus of serving the whole person. We’re honored to be a leader in the industry and we are excited to show you what lies ahead for health technology! See you soon!

Who is Netsmart?
Netsmart is the largest technology provider connecting behavioral health and post-acute care with all of healthcare. Netsmart is passionate about integrating care across all aspects of a community. As a leader in healthcare, we know that healthcare doesn’t always happen in a traditional clinical setting so we’re committed to working alongside our clients to innovate the most effective and intuitive technology possible.

Will You Be My Volunteer?

Valentine’s Day is much more than chocolate, flowers and giant, stuffed teddy bears. It’s a day where we can share our love with not only loved ones, but also with those in our community. If you’re looking to make your Valentine’s Day (or any day) extra special this year, here are four ways to spread the love:

1. Spend time with loved ones: Instead of paying for an expensive meal, invite those who might not have a place to spend Valentine’s Day over for a home-cooked meal. Sharing your home with others is a special way to show love and kindness.
2. Treat others: Do something that brings an extra-special feeling to someone’s day. Spend the evening delivering home cooked meals or desserts to those in need with a local food organization.
3. Get crafty: Take time to create special homemade valentines for senior living centers or hospices around your home. Be sure to include the caregivers!
4. Donate items (and your time): Spend time collecting items like food, clothes, and household goods to donate to shelters in need. Find local organizations who need volunteers all year or create a fundraiser for an organization you hold close to you heart.

Spreading love shouldn’t happen just one day out of the year. There are many programs and organizations across the country that could use your help in many ways every single day. Want to help or not sure where to start? A simple web search of volunteering in your area is a great way to find the right opportunity for you. All it takes is a little bit of time to truly spread the love!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Q1 syncWEEK Recap

Every quarter Netsmart hosts a syncWEEK to gather leadership from across the company to discuss Netsmart’s state of the state and plan for the future. The first syncWEEK of 2017 wrapped up last week and we were so excited to review where we’ve come from and where we’re going through different educational sessions and networking opportunities. Netsmart is committed to continually improving the way we work and deliver the best solutions to our clients, and syncWEEKs are a great forum to brainstorm with each other, share best practices and recognize our associates’ accomplishments. Here is some of the feedback our associates shared with us.
Hear from our Netsmart associates who attended:  

“Being empowered to share our passion for behavioral health in conjunction with technology is a characteristic that is unique to Netsmart, and we execute that passion, naturally.” – Michael Hulgan Jr., Solutions Consultant 

 

“syncWEEK is always a great time of connecting and recharging.  I loved the format that included the product training sessions with client guest speakers as well as the Leadership Innovations session with Leta.  Many thanks to everyone who contributed to make it such a success.” – Corrie Barron, Solutions Team Lead

“syncWEEK could be renamed ‘Information Input Week.’ I love meeting all of my new teammates.  The pieces are coming together and I am excited for our clients and for my future with Netsmart!” – Maureen Wainwright, Client Alignment Executive, Sales – Homecare

“The energy was palpable! Confirming the importance of all team members by exploring Netsmart’s financial and product growth. I especially enjoyed the hands-on presentations for team members to feel new features and the importance to the users. Hearing the passion of the agencies reminded us that our work has heart and higher causes touching many. The week helped me as a new associate in the journey towards my success.” – Nancy Fella, Product Strategist – Engineering Research & Development

“Four days well spent! Monday overviews really helped to set the tone and let us know where we were at and what needed to be the focus moving forward. The communication workshop was wonderful and I feel better equipped to have different kinds of conversations. I am very grateful for a company that invests its time and resources in their people.” – Jenny Houston Sayler, Solutions Marketing Specialist, Marketing – Homecare

“It was so good to meet our new associates from our recent HealthMedX acquisition. I had the opportunity to learn more about the post-acute market this week. Although there are differences, the more we talked, it was evident that our goals and challenges were very similar.” – Tracey Roxby, Client Alignment Strategist

Thank you for taking time to join us during this syncWEEK! We’re looking forward to a great year of success in 2017 and it’s the hard work and dedication of all our associates that makes it happen!

Invitation to Integrating Care: Moving Beyond Interoperability to True Collaboration

Netsmart’s VP and GM AJ Peterson invites you to dive in to his recent blog series entitled, “Integrating Care: Moving Beyond Interoperability to True Collaboration.” Focusing on the importance on the care coordination for patients with coinciding mental and physical health conditions, AJ elaborates on the adoption of technology in integrated health and how interoperability is essential to executing successful care plans.

Read the entire series here:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Integrating Care: Moving Beyond Interoperability to True Collaboration, Part IV

We’re nearing our destination! In this blog series over the past several weeks we’ve identified the importance of integration and collaboration as expressed through the impacts of severe mental illness (SMI). We’ve seen the practical use of applications like referral process automation. We’ve examined how standards-based transaction and data elements can provide visibility across systems into a patient’s well-being. In short, we have facilitated communication and the collection of massive amounts of powerful information about individuals and entire populations. So, what’s still lacking? Two words – expansion and context.

Let me explain.

Integrating Care: Moving Beyond Interoperability to True Collaboration, Part III

We began traveling down the road to integration and collaboration by noting the importance of this journey; severe mental illness (SMI) impacts both lifespan and quality of life. In addition, fragmented care drives higher costs. Along the way we’ve been witnesses to the practical use of applications including referral process automation, integration with Acute Care Organizations (ACOs), and synchronized systems across Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCS). But any successful journey involves looking not only at the road directly in front of us but the landscape on the horizon. In this case the landscape we must look to is one marked by technology that can move us beyond just basic information sharing.