Human Services Inc. in Washington County Minnesota
Background and Purpose
Human Services Inc. in Washington County Minnesota (Services) was incorporated in 1969. The agency's mission is "to help people overcome and prevent life impairments by developing individual potential and promoting meaningful participation in family and community."
People with aging, mental or chemical health, and physical or sexual abuse issues participate in programs ranging from direct treatment and management of disabilities to an array of support services including transportation, nutrition, supportive housing, and job coaching.
The agency's main office is in Oakdale, but services are also offered in homes, schools and the community or through sites in Cottage Grove, Forest Lake, Oak Park Heights, and Stillwater. Services is staffed with 240 employees and is assisted in its work by over 1,100 volunteers. Approximately 9,400 individuals are served by the agency annually.
Current Request
In response to increased demand for services over the last 15 - 20 years, Services expanded office locations and decentralized programming to improve community accessibility. While this service model was successful in expanding consumer options, the medical records processes have become increasingly problematic because of the need to transport patient records from the two locations where records are stored to the other sites. This is necessary when clients are seen at different sites for different services, depending on their needs, and clinicians need to review their records for treatment purposes.
The current system is less than desirable for delivering high quality care and is labor intensive and inefficient. After a two-year process of research and review to determine the feasibility of an electronic health records system (System), Services decided to proceed with conversion from paper records to an integrated System in a four-phase process of approximately two years. The first phase of selecting a vendor is near completion, but the project will not proceed until funding has been secured. Grant funds would be used to purchase software, hardware and vendor services as well as offset staff costs for developing, testing and training activities.