Page 3 – Bamboo Health

Unlocking the Full Potential of PDMPs Through Integration

Posted on March 26, 2025March 25, 2025 by Jaime Conlan

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are one of the most powerful tools in addressing the opioid epidemic, yet many are still not utilized to their full potential. Gone are the days of relying only on traditional PDMPs that were isolated from the broader healthcare system – today’s advances in integration and interoperability have propelled PDMPs beyond their original scope, enabling healthcare providers to access real-time data that informs clinical decisions and improves public health outcomes.

Here are three ways PDMPs can work better for your organization:

Optimize integration to turn data into actionable insights: Integration is critical to optimize access to timely insights without disrupting care. Organizations can turn data points into actionable insights by embedding PDMP data directly into electronic health records (EHRs) and other healthcare data systems. Seamless integration eliminates the need for manual lookups, reducing workflow disruptions and allowing providers to make informed decisions at the point of care. With insights on prescription histories and potential red flags such as high dosages or dangerous drug combinations readily available, clinicians can proactively address risks and tailor treatment plans to individual patient needs.
Connect physical and behavioral health context to controlled substance monitoring: While PDMPs have traditionally focused on tracking controlled substance prescriptions, organizations must look beyond conventional data sources and incorporate additional insights that provide a more comprehensive view of a patient’s health. By surfacing broader physical and behavioral health insights within clinical workflows, healthcare organizations can enhance care coordination and implement more effective intervention strategies. Organizations can then maximize effectiveness by choosing a partner with an engaged network of interconnected data sources to surface additional data beyond what is traditionally collected, including: admission, discharge and transfer (ADT) data, behavioral health crisis referrals into PDMPs, nonfatal overdose monitoring and actionable insights on history of medication for opioid use disorder.
Gain deeper controlled substance insight: PDMPs are now evolving to also help identify patients who have stopped taking buprenorphine or other medication-assisted therapy drugs, which could represent an increased risk of relapse or overdose. With this deeper level of proactive insight, providers can take prompt action and support intervention efforts.

The landscape of PDMPs continues to evolve, and integration remains a key driver in unlocking their full potential. By embracing advanced interoperability, expanding data sources and leveraging real-time insights, healthcare organizations can transform PDMPs from regulatory tools into life-saving resources.

To learn more, download our whitepaper or contact us.

How the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Unifies Interstate Data for Improved Outcomes

Posted on March 12, 2025March 12, 2025 by Jaime Conlan

Despite Delaware’s small population size of one million, nearly 15% of the state population (150,000 adults) have a mental health condition and 42,000 have a serious mental illness. We sat down with Michelle Singletary-Twyman, the Division Director of Operations at the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health in Delaware, to learn more about Delaware’s current care collaboration challenges and goals.

Q: How does Delaware currently approach care coordination?

A: “We use DTRN360, or the Bamboo Intelligence Hub™, as the care coordination platform that the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Developed in collaboration with Bamboo. Our goal with the platform was to establish an opportunity for providers to have one central location to have data available to them about the clients so that they can help coordinate their care. Currently, people have to use fax and email to get information. The goal was to create a hub of information for providers to be able to have at their fingertips a client’s care journey and what medications they’re on, who their last provider was, and if they showed up to the appointment. All that information is easily accessible, so you’re helping the client to make the next plan for their level of care.”

Q: What criteria did you have for selecting a partner?

A: “We identified Bamboo as the front runner during the process, the entire group, based on the technical plan that they came up with for implementing a project like this. No one has this in place, so we had to create it. We had to find a provider that saw the clinical application, not just the IT application, which was really critical, and for someone to have a plan help us facilitate the consent process that we thought would work with our providers and be willing to work with other providers that might need to be needed, because the platform had to include social determinants of health as well, and we knew that someone may not have everything, but they would need to be able to collaborate with another provider to make sure we have every area covered in the platform.”

Q: Did you have a specific population in mind when improving care collaboration?

A: “The State of Delaware contracts with care teams to provide services for the uninsured. Although our contracts cover the services for anybody that can use insurance, it also we make sure we have the funds available for the uninsured. What we did was strategically track our clients that we already have, so we could identify where they were, and we utilized that client roster to establish the clients that we would get Pings™ on Thanksgiving weekend. Believe it or not, we found that we had clients that were all the way out in Nevada and our act teams are struggling to find people. Lo and behold, some of them were not even in the state. That was groundbreaking for us to go. We’ve got these clients, and we’re looking for them, and they might not even be here, and with Pings, we’d at least know where they are. We just had chills finding that information out, because we had no idea people were moving around like they were.”

Q: How did you envision this program reducing administrative burden?

A: “Remembering as a floor nurse and not having information to care for people who were in a psychotic state and they couldn’t tell you what was going on with them, whether they wanted to share the information or not, and we just had to figure out what they needed, because they weren’t able to tell us what they had had before for medications, or what treatment they’ve been involved with, or if this is the first time they’ve ever come for treatment. Just knowing this is going to help people to get what they need, I would encourage every state to try and adopt something like this. It will help people. It will save lives, and I think people be a lot more satisfied with their work because you can actually do the work you came to work to do.”

To learn more, watch the full video here on our resources page or contact us for more information.

What Is Real-Time Care Intelligence™?

Posted on March 10, 2025March 10, 2025 by Jaime Conlan

In healthcare, every second counts, especially during pivotal moments in an individual’s care journey. At the pharmacy, hospital or crisis center, individuals count on providers to deliver life-saving care when it’s needed most. Yet outdated processes and manual systems can often hinder this process. Providers need more timely and accurate information to deliver on their most profound promise to individuals in their care.

To do so, Real-Time Care Intelligence™ empowers healthcare professionals with the information they need when they need them most, delivered seamlessly at the point of care. These actionable insights are accessible directly in daily workflows and illuminate an individual’s physical and behavioral health context, improving whole-person care outcomes.

The Core Components of Real-Time Care Intelligence

Actionable Insights That Go Beyond Raw Data: Real-Time Care Intelligence leverages Knowledge for Good® to provide healthcare providers with distilled, holistic information directly relevant to clinical decision-making. This includes actionable insight on an individual’s medical history, current conditions, medication usage and social determinants of health.
Real-Time Data Sharing: A critical aspect of Real-Time Care Intelligence is the ability to share and access actionable data across various healthcare settings instantaneously. This ensures that all care team members have the most up-to-date information, facilitating seamless transitions and coordinated care efforts.
Engaged Care Collaboration Network: Real-Time Care Intelligence is bolstered by Bamboo Health’s extensive network of 52 states and territories, 100% of the top 10 best hospitals and more than half of the country’s largest health plans to improve more than 1 billion patient encounters annually. This network connects stakeholders across the healthcare continuum to facilitate sharing critical context on an individual’s care needs across hospitals, primary care providers, specialists, behavioral health professionals, social services and more. This interconnectedness allows for a more holistic approach to care.

The Benefits of Implementing Real-Time Care Intelligence

Enhanced Care Coordination: By providing real-time alerts and updates, Real-Time Care Intelligence ensures that all healthcare providers involved in an individual’s care are informed of significant events, such as hospital admissions or discharges. This promotes timely follow-ups and reduces the likelihood of redundant tests or procedures.
Improved Patient Outcomes: Access to comprehensive and timely patient data enables providers to make informed decisions, leading to better management of chronic conditions, reduced hospital readmissions and improved health outcomes.
Cost Reduction: Efficient care coordination and the prevention of unnecessary procedures contribute to a reduction in healthcare costs. For instance, organizations utilizing Real-Time Care Intelligence have reported significant savings through decreased readmission rates and optimized care transitions.

Real-Time Care Intelligence in Action

Consider a scenario where an individual with multiple chronic conditions visits the emergency department (ED). With Real-Time Care Intelligence, the individual’s primary care physician (PCP) receives an immediate notification that their patient is in the ED. Upon discharge, the PCP is alerted with a summary of the visit, enabling them to promptly schedule a follow-up appointment and adjust the patient’s care plan as necessary. This real-time communication ensures continuity of care and reduces the risk of complications.

Real-Time Care Intelligence represents a transformative approach in healthcare, emphasizing the importance of timely, actionable insights and comprehensive data sharing. Healthcare organizations can enhance care coordination, improve outcomes and achieve greater efficiency in service delivery. As the healthcare landscape evolves, embracing Real-Time Care Intelligence can be a crucial avenue for providers aiming to deliver high-quality, whole-person care.

Learn more about specific use cases for leveraging the power of real-time care intelligence on our case studies page.

Actionable Insights for Today’s Healthcare Challenges: New Annual Impact Report Released

Posted on January 16, 2025January 16, 2025 by Jaime Conlan

When $45 billion is wasted annually on avoidable complications and unnecessary admissions, organizations must find new ways to unlock greater savings and save more lives. Learn more about the transformative efforts to turn the tide through inspiring success stories and innovative solutions in our newly released Annual Impact Report.

Explore some of the bold steps we’ve taken together with our partners and clients to empower live-improving actions during pivotal care moments.

Impact in Action

Turn challenges into opportunities for innovation and greater access to care. Learn how organizations such as Privia Medical Group—Georgia, Humana, the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) and more key industry leaders are shaping the future of healthcare with solutions that empower smarter decisions, improved access and delivered results that matter. Here are just a few highlights from this year’s report:

Privia Medical Group—Georgia and Humana Improve Follow-Up Measures: By collaborating with Bamboo Health, these organizations improved follow-up measures by over 8%.
Delaware Gains Interstate Insight: Learn how Delaware improves physical and behavioral health outcomes with greater insight into interstate care journeys.
Missouri Leverages Comprehensive Statewide Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP): Aimed at providing healthcare professionals with real-time PDMP data in their existing workflows, Missouri helps clinicians save valuable time and ensure more informed controlled substance prescriptions and dispensations.

A Message from Our CEO

“Over the past year, our partnerships with providers, health plans and governments supported individuals through billions of pivotal moments—whether transitioning from hospital care, responding to 988 Lifeline calls or facilitating follow-up for vulnerable populations. More than isolated instances, we know each of these pivotal moments is a key opportunity to shape health journeys and improve outcomes. Already, hundreds of thousands of providers across 52 states and territories are leveraging real-time care collaboration insights to help individuals receive targeted, compassionate interventions precisely when they are needed most, relieving pressure on healthcare systems and enhancing resilience within the communities we serve…”
— Jeff Smith, CEO of Bamboo Health

And don’t miss Jeff’s video on the three key forces shaping the future of healthcare in 2025 and beyond. Is your organization ready for the evolving healthcare shifts on the horizon?

Check it out at this link.

For any questions or to learn more, visit our Contact Us page to start a conversation.

Navigating Healthcare Shifts in New Administration

Posted on January 6, 2025January 2, 2025 by Jaime Conlan

With changes in Congressional leadership and a new presidential administration, healthcare policy and funding priorities may shift. As 2025 unfolds, it’s crucial for healthcare professionals and organizations to stay informed about potential changes that could shape the industry.

Ahead of these shifts, this post will highlight key areas to watch under the new administration and recent regulation developments that may set the stage for the beginning of 2025. Our goal is to help you navigate this evolving landscape with awareness and preparedness, recognizing there are no certainties.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Disruptions: While the Trump Administration has outlined clear goals to limit federal spending, the actual strategies for doing so are still uncertain. One anticipated area of focus is targeting ACA subsidies that were enhanced during the pandemic. If the enhanced subsidies are reduced or eliminated, the rate of uninsured individuals would be expected to increase. However, enhanced ACA subsidies will likely remain in place for at least part of 2025, so while broader changes may happen, they won’t be immediate. In the meantime, providers and state governments should be aware of potential gaps in care and leverage patient insight technology to understand how much of their populations may be impacted.
Broader Medicare and Medicaid Changes: If President-elect Trump’s first term offers any insight into the future, his second administration may seek to reinstate work requirements to receive Medicaid benefits and cap Medicaid spending for states. These changes have the potential to impact allocations for Section 1115 Waivers, which provide states with funding to reform access to crucial behavioral and physical health resources. The potential changes that may be implemented by the new administration via the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are not yet clear, but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where policies continue to evolve to better support longitudinal care through new CMS-approved Advanced Primary Care Management (APCM) codes, is a key agency to watch as the new administration takes shape. In the finalized 2025 Physician Fee Schedule, CMS added three new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes, which focus on physician interactions with patients at the time and place of their choosing and are billed monthly (instead of basing payment on a specific number of minutes spent with a patient).
Evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare: As AI burgeons across all industries, federal and state governments will continue to shape policy and strategies for implementation. President-elect Trump indicated in November his intention to shift AI oversight toward industry self-governance to reduce government regulations. The healthcare industry could then hold more responsibility to innovate and create ethical guidelines in partnership with other healthcare entities. Organizations may be permitted to leverage AI and autonomous care delivery to save costs and streamline care.
Continued Focus on Reducing Overprescribing and Addressing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD): While this grey area looms large, the continued prevalence of opioid use disorder is expected to require some continued level of focus from the federal government. In President-elect Trump’s first administration, he implemented plans to cut opioid prescription fills and keep dangerous drugs off the streets. While we await further potential changes and proposals in this space, continued studies on opioid use remain important for guiding future action. The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy recently highlighted trends in buprenorphine prescribing among women of reproductive age (20-49 years) in the U.S. from 2013 to 2022. The study found that the rate of buprenorphine prescriptions for OUD among this demographic increased by approximately 71% over the past decade, rising from 218 per 100,000 women in 2013 to 373 per 100,000 in 2022. The findings suggest that mid-level clinicians play a growing role in expanding OUD medication access.

At Bamboo Health, we’re committed to helping organizations navigate these potential changes with actionable insights and strategies. Contact us today to learn how our solutions can empower life-improving actions for everyone experiencing physical and behavioral health disorders.

Advancing Care Together: Celebrating 2024 & Looking to 2025

Posted on December 3, 2024December 3, 2024 by Grace Keeling

Is it just me, or has this year flown by? It seems like we just welcomed the New Year, and now another holiday season is here. As always, this time of year is perfect for reflection—thinking about all we’ve accomplished and planning for the exciting opportunities ahead.

As we look back on another year of progress at Bamboo Health, I’m filled with gratitude. Our clients work tirelessly to make a difference for individuals experiencing physical and behavioral health challenges. It’s through their dedication, innovation and collaboration that we’ve been able to deliver better outcomes and advance our shared mission. I’m also incredibly proud of the Bamboo Health team, whose hard work and resilience continue to drive meaningful change. Together, we’re creating solutions that improve lives at pivotal care moments.

This year, we’ve focused on addressing the unique challenges of high-need, high-cost individuals—an area that will remain a top priority in the coming years. Our partnership with providers, health plans and state organizations has driven meaningful progress. This year alone, we’ve:

Supported care transitions from the emergency department to hospital, post-acute and home care through more than 30 million patient events associated with admission, discharge and transfer transactions.
Empowered providers and pharmacists with more informed controlled substance information through more than 7 billion prescription drug monitoring program transactions.
Helped crisis teams respond to 988 Lifeline calls and improve crisis coordination more effectively, saving teams an average of 12 minutes for every mobile crisis team dispatch.
Facilitated treatment for vulnerable populations with OpenBeds® deployments across 11 states, ensuring no one falls through the cracks and receives timely care.

These aren’t just individual wins—they reflect the collective impact of our shared efforts. Each pivotal moment represents an opportunity to shape health journeys, improve outcomes and make healthcare more effective and compassionate.

Our success wouldn’t be possible without our clients and without the incredible Bamboo Health team. We brought together teams from two distinct companies, and thanks to hard work, resilience and dedication, we built something truly special—an organization capable of improving lives at scale during pivotal care moments.

Today, thanks to our clients and team members, hundreds of thousands of providers across 52 states and territories use Bamboo Health’s real-time insights to deliver targeted, compassionate interventions during 1 billion annual patient encounters. Together, we’re relieving pressure on healthcare systems, improving outcomes and strengthening communities.

This success allows us to continue investing in critical areas like care navigation with Bamboo Bridge, expanding access to behavioral health services and addressing the opioid epidemic. In 2025, we will continue to focus on forging new partnerships and driving innovative solutions that bridge gaps in care. From closing care gaps to driving material savings with actionable insights, the results we’ve achieved together have been remarkable.

As I reflect on 2024, I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished alongside our clients and am inspired by the road ahead. In 2025, we are more determined than ever to innovate, collaborate and drive meaningful improvements for individuals and communities across the country. Here’s to the year ahead and all that we’ll achieve together!

Behavioral Health Tech: Value-Based Care Payment Panel Recap

Posted on December 3, 2024November 27, 2024 by Jaime Conlan

Behavioral healthcare stands at a critical inflection point for value-based care. Right now, individuals with behavioral health conditions are approximately five times more costly to treat than non-behavioral health populations, often utilizing emergency department (ED) services repeatedly without appropriate follow-up care. This is likely due to the increased likelihood of co-occurring medical issues and complex treatment needs for those with behavioral health conditions.

In early November at the Behavioral Health Tech conference, healthcare leaders collaborated to share insights at the Value-Based Care Payment Panel. Check out the top insights from Bamboo Health’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Smith.

“The time to get this right is now, with a 53% projected increase in demand for behavioral health services over the next decade.”
Jeff Smith, CEO of Bamboo Health

The Case for Value-Based Care in Behavioral Health: To make value-based care (VBC) successful in this space, seamless collaboration and proactive intervention are essential. Solutions such as care navigation services and integrated care models help reduce costs while ensuring patients receive timely, appropriate care.
Real-Time Insights Empower Better Decision-Making: Timely, actionable information is critical for improving care outcomes and advancing value-based care. Providers and care teams need real-time visibility into both physical and behavioral health to make informed decisions, especially during pivotal moments like ED discharges or care transitions. By leveraging real-time data, providers can improve behavioral health quality measures — such as follow-up rates after hospitalization — while also addressing gaps in care coordination. These insights help reduce administrative burdens, improve patient outcomes and ensure that high-need populations receive the right care at the right time.
New Care Models Must Be Designed for High-Need, High-Cost Populations: Achieving success in value-based care requires innovation in care models, especially for vulnerable groups. Nearly 20-30% of Medicare and Medicaid populations experience serious mental illness, making them a significant focus for VBC initiatives. Individuals in integrated care programs are 20% less likely to experience hospitalizations and 30% less likely to visit the ED. These outcomes are possible through enhanced financial and clinical frameworks that incentivize holistic care for these high-need, high-cost populations.
Behavioral Health Integration Is Non-Negotiable: Whole-person, coordinated care isn’t just an aspiration; it’s the foundation of effective value-based care. With over 27 million Americans living with untreated mental health conditions, integration of behavioral and physical health is critical. Conditions like anxiety and depression are found in 50-60% of patients with chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Whole-person care means treating patients holistically to improve their physical and behavioral health outcomes.
Addressing Behavioral Health Challenges Requires a Bolstered Workforce: Connecting patients to the next best step in their care journey is one of the most significant challenges in behavioral health, particularly as workforce shortages augment both challenges and opportunities. We expect to see trends with organizations allocating dedicated, qualified behavioral health staff without adding full-time employees to bolster providers as the first line of defense. Care navigation models with external care coordination staff are emerging as a crucial solution, helping providers facilitate seamless transitions, reduce repeat visits and address barriers to accessing long-term care.

From integrating care to leveraging real-time intelligence, the conversation at Behavioral Health Tech underscored the urgency of addressing behavioral health needs alongside physical health. Together, we’re working to ensure that value-based care becomes the standard, not the exception, for behavioral health populations.

To continue the conversation, contact us.

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