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Jump to All Downloads & LinksSanta Cruz County is one of the state’s leaders in leveraging health information exchange (HIE) to improve care delivery for behavioral health clients. The county’s participation in the Behavioral Health Quality Improvement Program (BHQIP) has augmented its efforts to foster data-driven care across all its departments and health system partners.
This paper explores how programs like BHQIP and other CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) initiatives can provide a framework for improving data-driven collaboration in county health care settings, using Santa Cruz’s challenges and successes as a guide for addressing future reform efforts.
The lessons learned from Santa Cruz County cover these topics:
- Coping with ongoing workforce shortages
- Taking a broader view of planning and executing data-driven projects
- Navigating a complicated landscape of consent and privacy regulations
- Establishing a neutral convener
- Thinking creatively to ensure health equity
With a well-established HIE infrastructure, a clear road map for health system transformation, and a strong commitment to change, the county has become a case study in impactful innovation across its behavioral health services.
Authors & Contributors
Jennifer Bresnick
Jennifer Bresnick is a journalist and freelance content creator experienced in the health IT industry. Her work at Inkless Creative Services focuses on leveraging digital tools to create value, improve health equity, and achieve the promises of the learning health system.
Samuel Taylor
Samuel Taylor is a senior consultant in the Policy Innovation Group at Intrepid Ascent with years of experience in policy research and consulting. Samuel serves as the behavioral health policy subject matter expert at Intrepid Ascent and leads implementation of several Behavioral Health Quality Improvement Program engagements with California behavioral health agencies.
Taylor holds a master’s degree in social work with a concentration in policy and research from Washington University in St. Louis.
