Contact: Steve McLean
Communications Director
(206) 302-2261
stephen.mclean@sound.health
Investment may reduce costs overall by enhancing quality of care, increasing productivity and optimizing care to reduce unnecessary clinical visits
SEATTLE – May 4, 2012 – Sound Mental Health, one of the most comprehensive behavioral health agencies in the state of Washington, announced today an agreement with iCentrix, a leading provider of data warehousing and business productivity solutions. Historically a leader in making technology investments to improve healthcare quality, workplace productivity and client outcomes, SMH partnered with iCentrix due to its expertise in behavioral health.
The agreement completes a comprehensive and strategic process that included building information technology and infrastructure that took more than five years to complete. Sound Mental Health, like most progressive healthcare organizations, recognizes data warehousing systems as a long term investment that offers unprecedented ability to analyze and better leverage clinical information reporting and continue to make sound business decisions.
Data warehousing systems store, extract, evaluate and tap into the wealth of business information that exists in today’s complex organizations, including health information technology, clinical record keeping, business information systems and much more. The technology enables decision makers to essentially view formerly “flat” information at more dynamic and multi-dimensional levels which, in turn, will significantly influence business decision-making.
At Sound Mental Health, for example, data warehousing systems enable the organization to better evaluate the effectiveness of its clinical programs, understand why specific practices are achieving positive client outcomes, recognize where efficiencies exist and identify areas where greater efficiencies can be developed. As a leading behavioral health non-profit, SMH recognizes its responsibility to best utilize limited community resources to ensure a healthy and safe community.
“This is exciting development for Sound Mental Health, because it will take our informational reporting and analysis to the next level,” said Paul Eisenhauer, SMH Chief Financial Officer, who oversaw the acquisition of the technology. “The platform leads us toward a more complex understanding of our clinical programs and gives us the ability to reproduce those promising practices that yield the best client outcomes. Improving client outcomes is a major expectation of Healthcare Reform legislation.”
Eisenhauer also noted that, in addition to producing a higher quality of care, the investment will enhance workplace productivity, better target care plans to reduce unnecessary clinical visits and bring other efficiencies that ultimately reduce costs overall.
[bs_well size=”lg”]About iCentrix
iCentrix helps companies organize, access and manage information to support dynamic business processes. A combination of industry standard software tools, advanced software design technologies, and best software engineering practices are used to develop solutions that are custom, robust and flexible. iCentrix has helped businesses develop different business systems on the internet, and improve the efficiency of their business operations. iCentrix has a track record of developing complete solutions in 4-6 weeks. This is accomplished by applying the flexibility inherent in our approach during the first development phases. We first start by creating working models and then refine them to create a solution based on the client’s early engagement and feedback.
About Sound Mental Health
Sound Mental Health is a private, tax-exempt organization that has provided a comprehensive array of mental health and related services to the King County community since 1966. Our goal is to help individuals and families achieve the highest level of independence and (mental) health possible. Services are tailored to meet the unique needs of different age, disability and cultural/ethnic groups. To learn more, visit www.smh.org.
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