Electronic Records and Communication Promise New Quality, Efficiency

This spring, Tri-County is on the cutting edge of two key revolutions in health care management.

Tri-County has taken its first steps toward implementing an electronic billing and practice management component by July 1, and hopes to have an integrated medical record system six months after that. Although the move began with formal action by the Board of Directors in January, the initiative involves more than two years of research and planning.

“We want to position the agency to be responsive to national trends,” Tri-County CEO Tom Cranshaw explained. “We are also proceeding in a manner that best meets the needs of our agency and our consumers. For us, that’s the priority.”

Several components are involved in the effort, but some of the most important include nearly instantaneous and more efficient communications between Tri-County and its extensive network of community providers—psychologists, psychiatrists and others located in Clay, Platte and Ray County communities. Also “online” will be state and regional networks that are being developed to serve as hubs for this futuristic network. Like the move to 21^st Century digital communications in other areas of health care, the mental health effort is focused on reducing costs while improving quality.

“We expect improved continuity and integration of care, especially across Tri-County’s provider network,” Cranshaw said. “As the number of clients and providers have grown, the task of communicating important information has become increasingly difficult. Electronic medical records, with security provisions, will facilitate this sharing of information while client outcomes and evaluation will improve through additional measurement of client progress.”

Tri-County is focusing first on electronic billing because medication information will be built on that network. Other elements include even everyday issues such as replacing time-consuming and sometimes confusing physician handwritten notes with digitally dictated communications.

A key component actually occurred two years ago with creation of a new position at Tri-County. An application specialist post was charged with managing the expected transition and implementation of the new system.

“We saw this coming and positioned ourselves to be ready,” Cranshaw said. “This is an important development in so many ways.”

Electronic records and management elements for health care organizations were in fact a key part of last year’s stimulus act—although mental health organizations were left out of the crucial funding support. However, recent changes have included greater funding for psychiatrists and others using electronic records, which indirectly benefits organizations such as Tri-County.

Also involved is creation of health information exchanges—regional clearinghouses for health care information. Recently named to the Kansas City informational exchange Board of Directors, Cranshaw said it was important that mental health care be represented in these formative steps. Cranshaw, who had 35 years of health care experience when he joined Tri-County in 2004, said creation of a system to serve all aspects of the community was important.

“I hopefully have the ability to understand the physical side of the health world and I’m now on the mental health side where we’re implementing of this,” he noted. “But the key is to ensure that we develop a system that supports the community safety net, mental health and understand more traditional needs of hospitals and physicians.”

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Tri-County Mental Health Services, 3100 NE 83rd St., Suite 1001, Kansas City, MO 64119-9998
Telephone: (816) 468-0400 Fax: (816) 468-6635 • 24-Hour Emergency Service Crisis Line 1-888-279-8188
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