Sacramento County took a major step forward on Thursday in improving care coordination with the launch of the Sacramento Health Connect (SHC), a groundbreaking Information Exchange initiative. The event marked the beginning of a system designed to transform how health, housing and social services work together to support residents, particularly those facing complex challenges.
“For us, especially as a County that originally didn’t implement whole person care, in many cases, we are playing catch up,” said Tim Lutz, Director of the Sacramento County Department of Health Services. “And with that catch-up is how do we make the most meaningful impact to link people to services the first time around.”
For years, residents in need of essential services have struggled to navigate a fragmented system, often falling through the cracks due to bureaucratic hurdles and disconnected agencies. Chevon Kothari, Deputy County Executive for Social Services, knows this challenge firsthand. As a young woman, she found herself navigating the health and human services system after her mother suffered a debilitating stroke.
“At 19, I was trying to figure out what door to walk through. It felt like a wild goose chase,” she recalled. “I know that’s how many of our residents feel when they are in crisis.”
Sacramento Health Connect aims to change that experience. The system will link data from various County services—including medical, primary health, behavioral health care – which includes mental health and substance use - housing assistance, criminal justice records and even school services—allowing providers to see a more complete picture of a person’s needs and ensure they receive the right support without unnecessary delays. Lutz explained the significance of this integration.
“Right now, we often send people to three different providers, and each time, they have to start from scratch, providing the same information over and over again,” he said. “With SHC, we can make those referrals seamlessly, pull in known information and allow providers to focus on delivering care rather than duplicating intake forms.”
One of the most promising aspects of SHC is its ability to enhance care for individuals experiencing homelessness.
“People who are living unhoused oftentimes find a very fragmented service array. This is because funding comes from State, Federal, City, County and providers which makes it really difficult for individuals to be able to know where to go and how to access services,” said Kothari. “With this system, we are hoping someone can enter one door, tell their story once, and be connected to the right services without having to navigate a maze of agencies.”
Beyond improving individual care, SHC will also help the County meet broader state health initiatives like CalAIM, which aims to improve Medi-Cal services through better care coordination and quality improvements.
“So much of what we do in government today is data-dependent,” said Lutz. “With this system, we can better understand where gaps exist, track outcomes and ultimately make a more meaningful impact.”
Sacramento County’s approach to SHC is unique because it allows individuals to have control over their data. Residents will be able to opt into the system and choose what information is shared with whom.
“This is about empowering people to have a say in their care while making it easier for providers to support them,” Lutz explained.
The partnership with Innovaccer, a health technology company, will help bring this vision to life. By breaking down silos between agencies, SHC is expected to not only improve access to services but also reduce recidivism, increase stable housing placements and provide better long-term health outcomes for the County’s most vulnerable residents.
“This is about whole-person care,” said Kothari. “One that we can really wrap around people taking care of not only their health needs but also their social services needs, behavioral health needs, their housing needs maybe their income needs. And by doing that we’ll see better outcomes with the people that we serve.”
