i-net - IPHCA's SIMIS Network

Several years ago, the idea of a Shared Integrated Management Information System (SIMIS) was conceptualized. Community health leaders, including the Bureau of Primary Health Care, believed that an integrated information system would significantly improve the health center’s ability to collect, manage and use information, in order to improve its ability to be more cost-competitive.

As a result, the Bureau developed the Shared Integrated Management Information System Initiative, whose focus is to “strategically align health center information systems with business objectives in an effort to meet demands driven by competition in the marketplace. Health centers that are funded through this program will achieve improved coordination, greater efficiency, enhanced quality, effective information analysis, increased access, greater economies of scale, and a larger market share.”

In response to this Initiative, the Illinois Primary Health Care Association began taking steps toward turning the idea of a statewide practice management network for Illinois CHCs into reality. In mid-2000, IPHCA formed a committee of members, CHC information technology professionals, and IPHCA staff to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) to obtain a software vendor. Six companies responded to the RFP, and after an extensive road trip to view vendor demonstrations around the Midwest, the committee unanimously selected Companion Technologies as the software vendor for IPHCA’s SIMIS Network. In November 2000, IPHCA applied for, and subsequently received, funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care for the Illinois SIMIS system, later branded the “i-net network”. The idea became reality in March of 2002, when the first community health center “went live” on IPHCA’s SIMIS Network.

The goal of the i-net network is to allow participating health centers to continue the services they provide to their community while realizing significant cost savings and benefits as a result of being a part of a SIMIS system. There are several direct benefits for both IPHCA and the participating members. Our goal is to establish a network which helps facilitate further integration and use of new technologies to enhance communication, trust and renewed working relationships between diverse health center partners. Specifically, we believe the network will afford the following advantages to IPHCA and its participating members:

For health centers applying for New Start and Expansion grants, acquiring or maintaining an adequate management information system can significantly strengthen the “Organizational Capabilities and Expertise” section of your grant application. Participation in the i-net network would demonstrate administrative effectiveness in leveraging resources by utilizing the skills, talent and expertise available through the network. This would also demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the benefits and value of collaboration and integration on a statewide level. Referencing the involvement of your CHC as a member of the i-net network would greatly enhance your grant application and underscores the advantages of being a member of IPHCA.
The collection and storage of raw health center data in the proposed IPHCA Data Warehouse will enable the association to be better prepared for strategic planning, and resource allocation through the Market Place Analysis. In addition the data in aggregate form can be manipulated to serve a number of different purposes including the use of the data to secure additional resources from both state and federal policy makers.
The i-net network will create a new way of conducting business with health care payers whether they are the State of Illinois, Medicare or third party payers. A significant benefit will be the establishment of a claims submission clearing house, operated from IPHCA’s central location in Springfield. IPHCA already performs extensive claims processing for the Department of Human Services’ Early Intervention program, which provides health care services to developmentally disabled or delayed children up to three years of age. In 2003, IPHCA submitted over $66 million in claims for the program. In the future, IPHCA plans to submit claims for Medicaid, Medicare, and other third party vendors on behalf of i-net network participants.
IPHCA utilizes internal network staff to maintain and provide first and second level technical support services to participating members. This includes providing on-site support for hardware problems, as well as online and phone support. Again, the cost of maintaining individual systems will no longer be a burden to participating members.
Finally, the i-net network has created a new working environment among health center partners. The network allows for the free exchange of ideas and information between entities hundreds of miles away. It has created commonality among partners and has eliminated old excuses for not working together on common ground issues. Electronic messaging, direct telecommunications capabilities and videoconferencing are all part of the system.

While the i-net network first began as a response to the volatile practice management software market, it has now become an enormous business opportunity for almost every community health center in Illinois. The economies of scale offered provide i-net network participants significant cost savings. As the system becomes an even larger and more technically advanced network, those savings will only increase. Currently, our network is one of the largest community health center practice management networks in the country. Today, we are in discussions with public health departments and other networks about possible network management services. It is also likely that in the future, out-of-state health centers will be utilizing the i-net network for their practice management needs. Together we are truly at the ground level of something whose sum is larger than its parts, and that’s exciting!