Initial success of the platform serving as a guide for other states to provide care plan templates and achieve patient goals
WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 27, 2022 – Zane Networks, LLC, a leader in healthcare transformation services and solutions, has launched the care and case management project for NJ InCK, paving the way for other states to improve care coordination and achieve patient goals.
“We have an invaluable opportunity to improve the lives of each of these children on their individual health journeys, as well as their families, through the NJ InCK program,” said Dr. Steven Kairys, professor of Pediatrics at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, medical director of the New Jersey AAP Pediatric Council on Research Education (PCORE), and principal investigator of NJ InCK. “While the state of New Jersey has encountered significant barriers to improving care coordination for children with complex health needs, they’re paving the way for other states who are looking to improve care coordination and reduce out-of-home placement.”
The goal of the NJ InCK program is to identify children in need of more coordinated care and work together with the families, healthcare workers and community organizations to ensure an integrated approach that optimizes child outcomes. Children in Monmouth or Ocean counties between the ages of birth and 20 years old are eligible to participate in this program.
The care and case management platform includes a set of unique questionnaires that define clinical workflow pathways, including associated care plan templates needed to achieve the care goals for the patient. The care plans will account for screening assessments and tasks that reside within the Operational Data Hub (ODH), or from third-party sources, to generate a comprehensive care plan that can be accessed appropriately by care team members. Built upon the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the ODH-funded open-source technology, the platform utilizes the federally endorsed Health Level 7 (HL7) FHIR standard for secure exchange of patient information.
“Implementing technology that drives both interoperability efforts and the value-based care transformation in U.S. healthcare has become increasingly crucial,” said Alexandra Jellerette, president of Zane Networks. “We strongly support NJ InCK’s mission of reducing out-of-home placement as well as healthcare expenditures for children. This is our second time partnering with this important institution, and we look forward to delivering on our promise of leveraging our deep clinical, technical and management expertise to help them achieve their strategic objectives.”
In early 2021, Zane Networks partnered with a physician-led software development company to build a FHIR-based Needs Assessment Tool for NJ InCK to support the organization’s multi-pronged strategy to combat the nation’s opioid crisis. HealthStory, a standardized, pediatric screening tool that is self-administered by a beneficiary or caregiver, is the key component that sets the table for the patient cases to be placed in the latter system. Patients and their families are using the online assessment to determine their health complexity score, and based on the results, receive community-based care coordination from a team of community health workers, social workers, and others. Zane Networks’ support of these components in the InCK technology stack is critical to the program’s future and continued success.
Having accomplished the launch of the pilot project for the NJ InCK program, Zane Networks is moving forward to continue their work by releasing a similar program in the state of Connecticut. The Connecticut contract was just recently completed in April of this year and is just one example of how this program can and will be leveraged by other states looking to improve care coordination.
About Zane Networks, LLC
Founded in 2000, Zane Networks is certified as an EDWOSB by the SBA and is also certified as a Washington D.C. CBE and Maryland MBE company. Zane Networks helps organizations leverage innovative health IT tools and health data through direct technical assistance and coaching, software development and/or implementation. Zane Networks is a Management Service Organization (MSO) certified by Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC). Additionally, the company is nationally accredited by the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC).
To learn more about how Zane Networks solves complex challenges including healthcare quality improvement, technology, and staffing, please visit www.zanenetworks.com.
About NJ InCK
NJ InCK is a multi-sector collaborative child-centered local service delivery model aimed at reducing out-of-home placement as well as health care expenditures for children covered by NJ FamilyCare. It operates through prevention, early identification, and treatment of priority health concerns like behavioral health challenges, physical health needs, and social challenges. For those with the highest need, cutting-edge information systems and advanced case management programs will ensure the integration of clinical care and a wide variety of social services. The NJ InCK project is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,998,437 in 2022. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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Dave Anderson
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