What West Virginia’s Behavioral Health Data Sharing Success Means for Connecticut

Across the country, health information exchanges are helping people get the care they need sooner by giving behavioral health teams the insight they need to act earlier, coordinate services, and cut down on unnecessary emergency room visits. A recent example from the West Virginia Health Information Network (WVHIN) – an affiliate, like Connie, of CRISP Shared Services (CSS) – shows what becomes possible when timely information reaches the people providing care. 

The Challenge 

Behavioral health crises often occur when people can’t access care or follow-up support. Not knowing where else to turn, patients often seek care in the emergency department (ED), which lacks the specialized staff and resources needed to properly address behavioral health conditions. This leads to a cycle of repeated ED visits, where patients return in crisis without ever receiving the intervention and ongoing support they need. Valley HealthCare System, a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, set out to better support patients who were at risk of crisis, lower the number of repeat emergency room visits, and improve follow-up for individuals who often face multiple medical and social challenges. This was especially important for those covered by Medicaid or living with chronic health conditions. 

The Approach 

With support from WVHIN’s data services, including the Population Explorer tool, Valley HealthCare System’s care teams gained better visibility for patients already under their care. They were able to see hospital encounter alerts, lab and vital signs information, medication histories, and provider details in real time. This data allowed them to identify patients who frequently relied on the emergency room and reach out before their health concerns escalated. 

Care teams created a consistent process that used these insights to guide follow-up: 

• Within 24 hours of an emergency room visit, the team contacts the patient. 

• Within 4 days, the patient is scheduled for a review of their treatment plan and an update to their crisis plan. 

• 75% of the patients reached through this process have attended their follow-up appointments over the past year. 

  
  

The Impact 

Because WVHIN also shares lab and vital signs information, Valley HealthCare System was able to identify patients with unmanaged diabetes and connect them to additional support. This strengthened their ability to provide whole-person care for Medicaid members and improve outcomes for vulnerable patients. 

Since bringing WVHIN tools into daily operations, Valley HealthCare System has also seen an impact on clinical efficiency and overall volume rates. 

• There has been a 60% drop in emergency room admissions per patient served. 

• Overall emergency room activity among the patients they serve decreased by 40%. 

• Thirty-day repeat emergency room visits have fallen from 9 patients between April and June to 2 patients between July and September. 

  
  

  

Why This Matters for Connecticut 

Connie, Connecticut’s state-designated health information exchange and a CSS affiliate, offers similar tools and capabilities that help behavioral health providers, Medicaid programs, and care teams deliver more proactive, person-centered care.  

The WVHIN example shows how dependable alerts, linked clinical information, and tools that fit into the clinical workflow can lead directly to safer care, fewer repeat emergency room visits, more consistent engagement after discharge, and more responsive and individualized care plans. 

When care teams have the right information at the right time, patients can spend less time in crisis and more time on the path to wellness.