HealthierHere has selected Project Access Northwest as a recipient of its Connect2 Community Network Catalyst Fund. The award will enable Project Access Northwest to send and receive electronic closed-loop referrals with other partners in the Connect2 Community Network.
This network—which is being developed by a coalition of health and social service organizations in King County—aims to improve access and coordination among social service agencies, community-based organizations, behavioral health providers, clinics and health care systems so that individuals can be quickly connected with the services they need to be healthy and thrive.
“With a robust system in place, we will be able to help our clients in a whole new way,” said Gary Renville, executive director of Project Access Northwest. “We know that they have needs outside of their health, but we haven’t had an efficient way to connect them with services before now. We are excited to provide even greater services to those in our care.”
Project Access Northwest is one of 49 social service and health organizations selected to receive funding from the Connect2 Community Network Catalyst Fund. To qualify, organizations must provide services in communities that are hard-to-reach or experience health disparities, and they must serve a significant portion of Medicaid, low-income and/or under- or un-insured community members in King County.
The awards will provide support to enable recipient organizations to join and engage with the Connect2 Community Network through its first technology partner, Unite Us, a web-based platform that enables closed-loop, bi-directional referrals. The funding, provided by HealthierHere with additional contributions from Kaiser Permanente, will be released based on the achievement of milestones for network engagement, use and optimization over a 12-month period.
“HealthierHere is proud to partner with our Catalyst Fund Awardees so that they can access and contribute to the Connect2 Community Network,” said HealthierHere’s executive director Susan McLaughlin. “Working together, we will be able to improve access to meaningful, culturally and linguistically responsive supports that community members need.”