Ecker Center for Behavioral Health is a nonprofit organization based in Elgin, Illinois, and a community behavioral health care provider. Their mission is to optimize the well-being of individuals and communities through the delivery of accessible, comprehensive, and quality behavioral health care, which includes prevention, education, and intervention.

Challenge | After receiving a CCBHC expansion grant from SAMHSA in September of 2022, Ecker recognized that a more robust, flexible, and intuitive EHR was needed for them to be successful. They needed an EHR solution that would support the CCBHC treatment model and would make complying with CCBHC requirements efficient, accurate, and intuitive for care teams, billing teams, and leadership.

Solution | Ecker Center chose Qualifacts to be its partner for its CCBHC transformation. Contributing factors for their selection included Qualifacts’ extensive knowledge and expertise of the CCBHC treatment model, access to the Qualifacts CCBHC Program Manager, and the opportunity to participate in monthly CCBHC Cohort meetings with peers from around the country.

“With the valuable support and expertise of Qualifacts, I am confident that we can attain our desired outcome. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with them,” said Daphne Sandouka, Ecker Center CEO.

The Qualifacts and Ecker partnership is built on a collaborative and responsive foundation that prioritizes effective communication informed by comprehensive knowledge of CCBHC criteria, and expertise and practical experience in the field. With Qualifacts technology capabilities and a full CCBHC partnership, Ecker selected Qualifacts for the following priorities:

Qualifacts CCBHC Outcomes and Reporting Capabilities | Ease in collecting clinical data and in extracting data for metrics and analytics were top priorities, along with ease of use, accuracy and confidence in the analytics and metrics that are being built and tracked.

CCBHC Expertise & Illinois State Presence | Qualifacts has a strong national footprint in the CCBHC community, supporting over 33% of all CCBHCs across the country. The Ecker Center became aware of Qualifacts through its partnerships with over seventy-three community mental health centers in Illinois, including seven CCBHCs.

“The CCBHC thought leadership, experience, subject matter expertise, and the national footprint we have seen from Qualifacts regarding the CCBHC treatment model were important to us,” said Deb Howe, Ecker CCBHC Program Director.

Ease of Clinical Documentation & Availability of Clinical Assessments | The ease of use for clinical documentation, flexibility, adaptability, and scalability that Ecker found in the Qualifacts CareLogic EHR platform was key to its selection decision, along with the availability of necessary clinical assessments, including the IMPACT tool for standard assessments and screenings, which is fully integrated into the EHR, and support for the state specific Illinois IM+CANS.

Effective Billing | Support for CCBHC billing needs, including those specific to Illinois, were key in the process that led to Ecker selecting Qualifacts as its CCBHC partner. Some billing needs included the ability to manage the Prospective Payments System (PPS) alternative payment model and having flexibility, configurability, and efficiency for billing and claims in the Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) process.

Ongoing State Reporting Compliance | Along with supporting CCBHC data gathering, outcomes tracking and reporting requirements, timely support and ongoing updates for Illinois state reporting and compliance were key in Ecker’s decision to choose Qualifacts.

Responsiveness, Expertise, & Support | Beyond the technology capabilities, Ecker felt the Qualifacts team was responsive to questions and helpful in providing detailed answers. Qualifacts also provided many demos to Ecker teams, including clinical, front desk, billing, and CCBHC, and staff gained the knowledge and transparency they sought.

Ease of Use, Efficiency, & Optimized Operations | Herbert Stricklin, the Director of Substance Use Treatment and Prevention Services for Ecker, saw value in how Qualifacts streamlines processes and increases efficiency for providers and administrative staff. Some of the ways they plan to enhance operations included the utilization of appointment reminders and the EHRs transparency into the status of documentation, facilitating the timely completion of clinical documentation and ensuring prompt signatures.

“We are excited to empower Ecker Center with the EHR they need to meet CCBHC requirements while improving productivity and satisfaction,” said Scott Phillips, Qualifacts CEO. “With the addition of CareLogic, they can now achieve efficient workflows, while reallocating staff resources to supporting care and driving better outcomes.”

Learn more about Qualifacts EHR solutions for CCBHCs here.

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