For more than three decades, NextGen Healthcare has been dedicated to advancing ambulatory healthcare technology and services for federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs). Meanwhile, since 2010, Findhelp has been on a nationwide mission to provide quick access to community programs that address the social care needs of individuals nationwide. Findhelp’s software platform “enables community organizations, governments, healthcare organizations, and businesses across industries to easily manage and coordinate care.” Their early investment and work has led to the largest and most engaged nationwide network available, with over 245,500 programs. Community-based organizations (CBOs) can publish appointments and eligibility questions and leverage referral tracking on Findhelp’s platform. This collaboration between the public and private sector is essential to support a social safety net for the underserved.
Findhelp and NextGen Healthcare partner to further that mission
By integrating Findhelp with NextGen Enterprise EHR, the partnership supports clinicians in addressing social determinants of health (SDoH), allowing seamless referrals and easily connecting patients with CBOs at the point of care.
Moreover, there’s been a notable increase in social needs screening driven by federal government requirements. Organizations and clinicians want to act on the information gathered from these screenings. Findhelp supports clinicians by integrating with NextGen Enterprise EHR, allowing them to launch the Findhelp platform directly from the EHR when a need is identified, to make referrals and connect patients to services. These referrals can be translated into over 100 languages and shared securely. Importantly, Findhelp’s in-house network curation team ensures the accuracy of program information, with contributions from their large user base.
Closed-loop referrals allow users to track if individuals received the help they need
By integrating with NextGen Healthcare, Findhelp enables navigators to pull data into referral workflows, saving staff time and energy. CBOs can manage referrals through a work queue, filter by status, and update referral statuses collaboratively. This system ensures transparency and efficiency in connecting people to help. Findhelp also offers analytics that provide insights into community needs, such as housing and food. Users can access a SQL database to combine Findhelp data with other health data for comprehensive studies. The social care vulnerability index overlays search data with location data to identify resource gaps, helping organizations target areas needing support, like mobile food pantries.
Integration in action: Kinston Community Health Center
Kinston Community Health Center—a NextGen Enterprise EHR client—serves a distressed county in North Carolina with a declining population, high numbers of farm workers, and significant racial diversity. The county faces challenges such as inadequate living conditions, rising homelessness, low job opportunities, food insecurity, transportation issues, and limited OB/GYN care. The Center, founded in 1993 due to a lack of dental care for pregnant women on Medicaid, has expanded to offer various services, including an in-house pharmacy, family medicine, behavioral health, community outreach, and OB/GYN care.
Kinston’s partnership with the American Heart Association, a key community-based partner, is what led them to piloting the Findhelp platform. Kinston’s team hoped that Findhelp would assist them with maintaining up-to-date resource lists for patients facing SDoH needs, thereby directly impacting patients’ access to much needed “outside the exam room” care. Findhelp addresses underserved needs by having a team validate resource information, ensuring accuracy and reliability. This validation process was a key factor in their decision to adopt Findhelp.
Staff access Findhelp through NextGen Enterprise EHR
A “launch external application” button is used to open the Findhelp dashboard within a patient’s chart. This integration allows users to search for services near the patient’s address and refer them to appropriate programs—streamlining the process of connecting patients to necessary resources, improving care coordination, and effectively addressing SDoH needs. Kinston Community Health Center staff appreciate the program’s ability to connect patients with resources without waiting for departmental assistance. This access is particularly valuable for addressing social needs during home visits or when patients are reluctant to disclose issues like medication affordability or transportation challenges. The privacy provided by Findhelp is appreciated by patients who are hesitant to share their issues openly.
The impact of Medicaid reform and 1115 waivers
Now that Medicaid dollars can be spent on social services, Findhelp has been instrumental in supporting these waivers by ensuring successful referrals and reporting. The focus is on integrating into workflows, making it easier for care managers and CBOs to collaborate and improve care management, ultimately enhancing patient care and addressing SDoH.
A practical solution for healthcare providers, community health workers, and social workers
The integration of Findhelp with NextGen Healthcare provides a solution to connect patients with necessary resources throughout their community. The value of these partnerships and workflow integrations in improving patient outcomes and community wellness is palpable. There’s much enthusiasm for improving access to care, supporting closed-loop referral processes, and creating seamless interoperability and care coordination.
To learn more about how NextGen Healthcare supports community-based organizations, visit here.
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