Merging California’s Health and Human Services:

Technology and an Expanding Enterprise

In July 2011, the State of California began consolidation of several health and human services agencies into a single entity, administered by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). With this merger came the challenge of integrating more than 370 staff, 50 systems, and countless business processes from Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP), California Medical Assistance Commission (CMAC), and two programs within the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Given the critical nature of the services provided by these agencies, it was understood that:

·         The quality of service could not be impacted for service providers or their clients;

·         A plan must be developed that addressed the inherent challenges associated with the transitioning and merging of people, process, and technology; and

·         The effort must be well planned, executed with expedience, and tightly coordinated throughout the effort.

It was also recognized that this merger provided a unique opportunity to implement essential technology enhancement, integration, standardization across the newly expanded DHCS enterprise - changes that would be essential to DHCS’ ability to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving health and human services marketplace.

To achieve this vision, DHCS implemented a three phase migration plan:

·         Phase 1: Organizational Alignment & Critical Systems Migration (Complete)

·         Phase 2: Continued Process Integration & Operational Systems Migration (In Progress)

·         Phase 3 – Prepare for the Future through Enterprise Integration & Innovation  (Planned)

As of September 2012, DHCS has completed Phase 1, with the successful migration of 170 staff and 20 mission-critical Medi-Cal systems.  DHCS is currently working to complete migration of 200 additional staff and 30 operational systems.

As DHCS moves to Phase 3, it will be uniquely positioned to implement a range of technology initiatives that will continue to improve service delivery across the enterprise.  This will include standardization of tools and technologies, improved information sharing and data integration, and enhanced business intelligence.

 

Source:  Department of Health Care Services