California’s ongoing Medicaid transformation and new Data Sharing Framework (DxF) are accelerating partnerships to improve interoperability.
In partnership with Dignity Health, SacValley MedShare recently announced that it will expand its health data exchange services to 30 hospitals across the state. Additionally, health information exchange organization Serving Communities Health Information Organization (SCHIO) has announced a collaboration with the Central California Alliance for Health.
Alliance is a regional Medi-Cal managed care health plan established in 1996 to improve access to health care for more than 456,000 members in Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.
This partnership will allow Alliance Medi-Cal members and providers in the five counties served by Alliance to exchange health data across health care systems, improving care coordination and health outcomes. The collaboration ensures compliance with both the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) and DxF programs, the organizations said.
Founded in 1996, SCHIO has been designated as a California Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) to facilitate the secure exchange of health and human services information by helping entities create and respond to information requests, receive test results or referrals, and request admission or discharge notifications.
“Qualified Health Information Organizations create an accessible path for countless health and human services entities to participate in the Data Sharing Framework, providing access to useful data across California’s health and human services system,” said Mark Ghaly, MD, Secretary of CalHHS, in a statement.
As DxF requirements become mandatory across California as of January 31, 2024, the Alliance has selected Santa Cruz-based SCHIO to help its Medi-Cal providers adapt to data-sharing policies that are expected to be the most stringent in the country. This collaboration is based on a health information exchange (HIE) model that allows for the secure sharing of most health data through SCHIO.
“SCHIO makes data available to the Alliance and its partners to facilitate decision-making, meet regulatory data-sharing requirements, align with CalAIM, and ultimately improve health outcomes for the populations we collectively serve,” Cecil Newton, chief information officer for Central California Alliance for Health, said in a statement. “This agreement is an extension of more than six years of mutual commitment to provide healthcare organizations with a better understanding of new interoperability regulations and technology solutions to simplify care. We look forward to standardizing and streamlining Californians’ access to healthcare services.”
By aggregating clinical data from diverse sources, SCHIO reduces administrative and technological burdens on providers and helps healthcare organizations improve the quality of information shared to meet current and future health and wellness requirements.
“We are thrilled and grateful to have been selected by the Alliance,” said Daniel Chavez, CEO of SCHIO, in a statement. “Through our close partnership with the Alliance in Santa Cruz County, we have established a relationship built on proven service delivery, community and trust, making a lasting investment in helping healthcare organizations achieve greater interoperability and deliver a better patient experience.”
