CMHA WW Receives Funding from the WWLHIN to Connect Patient Records Electronically

The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington has received $190,000 from the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN) to connect their Caseworks client software system to OntarioMD’s Hospital Report Manager (HRM), an ehealth solution that enables physicians to securely receive patient reports electronically from participating hospitals and specialty clinics. This is the first time in Ontario that client information will be securely shared electronically between a community partner and primary care physicians and hospitals. In Waterloo Wellington, this solution is deployed by the Centre for Family Medicine eHealth Centre of Excellence (eCE), in collaboration with OntarioMD. Coyote, the software provider for Caseworks, will also be partnering on this project.

Coyote will be building a “tunnel” from Caseworks to HRM, so that CMHA WW staff will be able to electronically send pertinent client information directly to family doctors.  This will mean staff will no longer need to scan, fax or purolate this critical information to family doctors. Doctors will be able to see client information directly in their databases and on their computer screens in real time.  This will be an amazing support to sharing critical “need to know” information with our primary care physicians as it will improve the immediate communication and collaboration of care for people with mental health and addiction issues.

“Collaborative team-based care for patients with mental health is essential, and only effective if team members are in communication with one another.  By connecting CMHA WW directly with primary care, I am hopeful this new initiative will improve collaboration between these two essential aspects of mental health care,” says Dr. Joan Chan, Primary Care Physician.

The creation of this interface between Caseworks and HRM will impact all of CMHA WW programs and services and Here 24/7 partners. CMHA WW employees will be able to send pertinent assessments and documents within Caseworks to our primary care partners, but likely the biggest impact will be for Here 24/7 given the volume of referrals and “traffic”.

Here 24/7 is the front door to the addictions, mental health and crisis services provided by 11 agencies across Waterloo Wellington. Here 24/7 continues to receive 4,500-5,500 calls per month from people of all ages needing support in our community.

By March of 2017, the connection will be made between Caseworks and HRM. This is a huge step forward for the health care system in Waterloo Wellington.

For further information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Megan Brady, Communications Specialist

Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington

1-844-264-2993 Ext. 2106/226-979-4578 (cell)

mbrady@cmhaww.ca

Twitter: @CMHAWW