Washington, DC; Feb. 21, 2023 — EMI Advisors announced today that it was awarded an $800,000 contract from the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) Division of Developmental Disabilities (Division) to advance social care integration for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The three-year award under federal funding will improve care coordination and delivery of services that support individuals with IDD's health, well-being, and quality of life through data integration among health and social care providers.

“When care providers have the right information about an individual, they are able to make good health care decisions and provide the best possible care,” said Jessica Bax, Director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health-Division of Developmental Disabilities. “The direct care staffing shortage has compounded the issues of information gaps caused by lack of access to data, which often leads to individuals experiencing poor outcomes and increased medical costs.  The Division is dedicated to improving outcomes for all Missourians with IDD, and our partnership with EMI Advisors, and the expertise they bring to this project, will help us achieve this.”

This contract builds on work completed by the Missouri DMH Division and EMI under the LEAP in Health IT Grant funded by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). This included testing and development of a use case for the exchange of Missouri’s Individual Support Plan (ISP) data mapped to the electronic Long-Term Services and Support (eLTSS) data set, as defined in the Health Level Seven (HL7®) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) eLTSS Implementation Guide (IG), across health and human service provider IT systems.

With the new funding, EMI will continue working with the Missouri DMH Division to improve electronic data collection, access, use, and exchange for individuals living with IDD, resulting in a first-of-its-kind, real-world implementation of the eLTSS data set and FHIR IG. In addition, EMI will work with Missouri to support onboarding additional home- and community-based services (HCBS) providers to the state’s Health Information Networks (HIN). These projects will collectively further enhance social care integration and improve the quality of services and provide greater convenience for providers, individuals with IDD, and their caregivers.

“As long-time proponents of data interoperability and its benefits for care coordination across health and social care, we are thrilled to be working with the state of Missouri to pioneer a real-world implementation of the eLTSS standard,” says Evelyn Gallego, CEO and founder at EMI. “We believe this type of integrated solution will improve individual outcomes for people with IDD and are honored to be selected by Missouri to support this trailblazing effort.”

About DMH

The Department of Mental Health (DMH) serves Missourians with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders through state-operated facilities and contracts with private organizations. Its mission is to serve, empower, and support citizens to live their best lives.

About EMI Advisors

EMI Advisors is a management consulting firm that assists health and human services organizations and technology solution providers in aligning technology, innovation, and business strategy to achieve optimal social and health care for all. We provide services that help our clients develop the right strategies to facilitate the development and delivery of value-driven solutions. EMI is an SBA 8(a) certified Economically & Socially Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business. We love what we do and who we do it for. We are passionate about optimizing the delivery of strategic solutions and how information is used. Learn more at emiadvisors.net and connect with us on social media.