Emergence Empowers Staff and Optimizes State Reporting with Augmented Intelligence

Emergence Health Network (EHN), the El Paso Center for Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, has long been a leader in adopting innovative technology. They invested in telehealth even before the pandemic propelled virtual care forward, positioning themselves for success during a tumultuous time. Years ago, they began using data analytics tools to make strategic business decisions, enabling their expansion as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). Now, they’ve identified augmented intelligence (AI) as the next innovation to drive their behavioral health organization to new heights in the coming decade.

Selecting the Right AI Partner

A crucial factor in selecting a clinical AI tool was the need for longevity. EHN has ambitious plans, requiring a strategic, forward-looking approach to innovation investments. This meant evaluating technology partners not only for their current offerings but also for their potential to evolve and support EHN's long-term vision.

EHN has adopted much of the Netsmart CareFabric® platform, showcasing the success that can come when human services organizations partner with a single platform to digitize processes across the entire business. In alignment with their strategic roadmap, EHN added Bells to their suite of solutions, hoping to support care providers and drive efficiency in the documentation process.

Telehealth. Collections. Documentation. Everything integrated. It helps to have a single provider for all of those.

– Damien Speaker, MBA, MPA, MPH, CHP, Clinical Applications Manager, Emergence Health Network

Clinical Coaching: Supporting Staff Where They Need It Most

One of the biggest benefits of an AI solution for clinical staff is the ability to receive suggested improvements in real time. Through a combination of flexible data capture capabilities, guided assessments, note templates and clinical recommendations, Bells makes clinical documentation faster and easier.

"Often, when QA catches an error, what follows feels like an 'email thread of shame' to rework the note. This can be embarrassing for a highly skilled provider," Damien explained. "Bells enables clinicians to avoid mistakes. It's a huge win for them."

Some examples of Bells' meaningful augmented intelligence features designed to coach staff in real-time include shortcuts, drop-ins and expansions.

The result of streamlined documentation is improved staff morale. Staff get more time to decompress between sessions and can go home at the end of the day without a pile of administrative work hanging over their heads for the next day.

This is about more than just being able to see more clients. It's about helping staff feel supported and eliminating errors, so they have less to do. Simple.

– Damien Speaker

Better Documentation the First Time = Less Rework and Simplified Reimbursement

During the first few months after implementation, EHN experienced a 99.9% success rate with notes submitted for reimbursement. "Only two errors slipped through nearly 10,000 notes. These results are unprecedented," said Damien.

State Reporting Made Easier with AI

Not only is the reimbursement process improved – Bells is able to prevent errors in documentation and better meet state reporting requirements. Using conditional logic, staff can easily validate the service code, which triggers settings such as location. In addition, note templates are designed specifically for the needs of the service being provided. From the provider's perspective, documentation is streamlined and processes are automated. For the organization as a whole, they can meet state reporting requirements with improved timeliness and accuracy.

Bells leaves program supervisors wondering, if there are no more errors, what do I do now?

Conclusion

Emergence Health Network’s adoption of Bells has transformed how they approach clinical documentation, creating a ripple effect of efficiency, accuracy and staff satisfaction. By embracing AI technology, they've not only improved their compliance and reporting but have also given their staff valuable time back in their day.

For some staff that were previously taking 45 minutes to an hour for a progress note, completion time has come down to 5 minutes.

– Damien Speaker