ACCESS was designed to aid the agency’s most at-risk residents — eliminating information and communication silos in their way to provide secure, anonymized data sharing that could do more to connect them with the services they need. It utilizes the IBM Watson Care Manager and IBM Health and Human Services Connect360 tools and is based on a San Diego County initiative that had created a tool enabling access by community partners. Sonoma County agencies working together in a Safety Net Collaborative include its Health Services (DHS), Human Services, Probation, and Child Support Services departments, and its Community Development Commission.
“Case workers, clinicians, housing staff, probation officers and others” are able to view all the services clients receive, through a common hub, the county said in a news release.
“Forms designed by SimpliGov enable data to be captured and used in a cloud-based app that combines several IBM services. The system ensures that public service agencies work together and are better coordinated to care for vulnerable people,” the county said, highlighting the new system’s ability to be accessed in the field. The system, jumpstarted by the 2017 wildfires, continues to roll out. Its third and fourth phases, this year, centered on developing those forms; working with people in the criminal justice system, and with frequent users of the emergency room.
“The Safety Net Collaborative has achieved remarkable success with the ACCESS Initiative as a result of our continued coordination, dedication to improving services, and commitment to innovation,” said DHS Director Barbie Robinson, describing the partners as “honored” to receive the award.
“This is the first year they included the public sector. We were competing with entities from all over the world including Europe,” Robinson told Techwire via email. This spring, ACCESS won the IBM Watson Health Advantage Award, and the 2019 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties.
