NH Care Connections

What is NH Care Connections?
NH Care Connections is a network of health care and human services providers and community-based organizations supporting individuals and families’ needs in real-time by:

• Reducing the time and effort to locate and refer people seeking care to the services they need.
• Protecting each person’s right to confidentiality and to consent to share personal information.
• Ensuring people receive effective follow-up to ensure the best health outcomes.

The goals of the network include improving people’s experiences navigating the healthcare system and improving health outcomes.

• Creating more pathways for communication and stronger partnerships is essential to ensuring the best health outcomes for people and their families.
• Streamlining the process of referring people for care at healthcare facilities and community-based organizations is essential to improving people’s experiences in the healthcare system.

NH Care Connections was established by the NH Department of Health and Human Services and the NH Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services (DMAVS).

• The network includes providers that offer services such as healthcare, housing,employment, food assistance, mental health, utilities, education, veteran services, andmore.

How does NH Care Connections work?
NH Care Connections works to improve people’s experience with the healthcare system and create better health outcomes for people receiving care in New Hampshire by:

• Reducing the burden on individuals, families, and providers navigating the health care system.
• Creating stronger connections to supports and services to ensure people have better health outcomes.
• Strengthening the protection of patients’ confidential personal and health information.
• Improving policy decisions based on people’s experiences in the health care system.

The network works with two technology vendors, Unite Us and Point Click Care, to support collaboration through new technologies that improve how providers and community organizations communicate and coordinate care.

• With a shared mission to facilitate connections to care for anyone in need, these platforms enable NH Care Connections providers to leverage a comprehensive suite of software and services, while focusing on what they do best – help people who need it.

How does NH Care Connections benefit patients?

NH Care Connections improves efficiencies and reduces redundancies, so people don’t have to retell their story during doctor visits.

• It allows for greater collaboration among providers to address patient needs earlier and more effectively.

A person’s health is impacted by where they live, work, learn and play.

• NH Care Connections members work with people on issues related to housing, food security, education, and employment, which can impact people’s health, well-being, and quality of life.
• It improves access and services through new technologies that facilitate increased communication among providers.
• Providers are better able to care for and connect their clients to other health and community services, leading to better care coordination and better health for people and their families.

The new technologies ensure that referrals to care are made and that expected outcomes are met while protecting people’s right to privacy and confidentiality.

How does NH Care Connections benefit providers?
NH Care Connections ensures providers can quickly communicate with one another and their patients to coordinate care and ensure people have positive health outcomes.

• NH Care Connections reduces redundancies and overlap in workflows, ensuring providers are on the same page in real time.
• Increased capacity and efficiencies reduce providers’ administrative duties, allowing them to dedicate more time to patient care and ensure better customer service and health outcomes for their patients.
• When providers connect residents to care outside of their own four walls, the new technologies allow them to maintain visibility into what happens on the other side, ensuring referrals work as intended and services are provided when they are needed.

NH Care Connections is being rolled out to all health care and human services providers and community organizations, including health care practices, managed care organizations, educational providers, Rapid Response Access Points, Aging andDisability Resource Centers, the NH Doorways network, 211 call center, and others.

How does NH Care Connections benefit New Hampshire?
NH Care Connections measures data to better understand the needs of our communities and state, the gaps in service availability, and the capacity of providers to address them.

• New data systems identifying population-level data trends and greater collaboration between providers increases visibility into where the healthcare system is benefiting people in New Hampshire and where people experience gaps in care.
• This helps NH to make better, data-driven decisions.
• Additionally, de-identified, population-level data drives better decision-making, identifies gaps and system capacity, and informs policy decisions.

What is the vision for NH Care Connections?
Improve the well-being and health outcomes of people across New Hampshire byconnecting them to resources.

• Facilitate timely transitions to physical health, behavioral health, and social services through an integrated whole person/whole family approach.
• Identify systems strengths and opportunities to address gaps to make data-informed decisions.
• Expedite the referral process and protect each person’s right to confidentiality and privacy.
• Protect people’s personal health information and right to privacy.
• Design and implement standards to allow providers to communicate clinical and social services information to people in real time.

Is patient data secure and confidentiality protected?
All confidential health and personal information is protected. No information is sharedwithout consent from people who are receiving care.

• Increased communication and connection between patients and providers ensures patient data is available only to providers authorized by patients to access patient data.
• New technologies provide enhanced protection of patient data and comply with all applicable State and federal privacy laws.
• The technology platforms apply restricted viewing permissions to referrals, cases, assessments, and screenings associated with sensitive service types including mental health, substance misuse, and legal services.
• When a referral is sent for a sensitive service type, that referral is only viewable to the sending and receiving organization.