Background: KeyCare LLC,  a non-profit Limited Liability Company was formed on April 8, 1996 by New Jersey Primary Care Association (NJPCA). It is organized to “Engage in managed health care activities in the State of New Jersey and any other business, purpose or activity, which may be lawfully carried on by a limited liability company under the New Jersey Limited Liability Company Act.”   However, due to the complexity and changing of the managed care operation, KeyCare  never conducted any managed care activities for all participating FQHC in the State of New Jersey.

  In 1997 members of the New Jersey Primary Care Association agreed to form an MIS Committee to research the possibilities of identifying an existing or working with a developer to design a patient account management system to meet the increasing computerized needs of all Federally Qualified Centers in New Jersey.  Initial meetings were held in Hammonton, Camden and Princeton to identify the individual needs of each FQHC.  Each FQHC was required to complete a description of its current software programs, its hardware and operating system and in-house technical capabilities of staff or consultants. The summary of this information indicated that New Jersey FQHC’s all had varying levels of deficiencies, in the area of hardware, software and human resources (i.e. MIS Professionals). 

  The outcome of the initials meeting resulted in general agreement among seven FQHCs that a joint approach to identifying software purchase or develop would result in economies of scale and costs savings for all participants.  As a result, the initial MIS Committee was transformed to mainly include MIS representatives of the seven FQHCs, which expressed interest in moving forward with the MIS Plan.

  Working under the KeyCare, the MIS Committee, in conjunction with New Jersey Primary Care association, developed a process for requesting grant from BPHC to fund this MIS Plan – BPHC Cooperative Project Supporting the New Jersey KeyCare Integrated Data System Project.

Goal:   The overall goal of the project is to ensure the continuation and further development of the delivery of community-based, comprehensive primary heath care services to the medically underserved in the state of New Jersey.

Purpose:  The BPHC will partner with NJ KeyCare by providing technical and financial support in a cooperative project to enhance the information system infrastructure and organization of the KeyCare alliance of community health centers.  This project will help to position KeyCare to successfully compete in the changing healthcare marketplace in New Jersey and to continue its constituents’ community-based healthcare delivery role.  The project was expected to begin in September 1998 and continue into year 2000.  It will be conducted in multiple phases.  This phased approach will allow timely adjustments in the project plan, management of the risks associated with a project of this kind, and help to ensure accountability in project progress.

Result/Outcome:  In December of 1998, MD Serve application was selected by the MIS Committee as the Patient Management Account Application and was implemented at Henry J. Austin Health Center as a pilot site to test application.  In June of 1999, KeyCare began to deploy Piloted MD Serve Practice Management System to Non-Pilot KeyCare Clinical Sites.  At this point, the following FQHCs have migrated the patient account management applications to MD Serve Practice Management System:

1. Eric B. Chandler Health Center
2. Henry J. Austin Health Center
3. Horizon Health Center
4. Newark Community Health Center
5. North Hudson Community Action Corporation Health Center
6. Southern Jersey Family Medical Center

  In late 2001, a CIO was contracted and hired for KeyCare to carry out the goal of the BPHC Cooperative Project Supporting the New Jersey KeyCare Integrated Data System Project.  KeyCare office was originally located in Princeton, NJ then relocated to Edison, NJ.  

  KeyCare MIS Mission Statement:  To present correct and meaningful Data Warehousing information for all participating FQHCs and to provide IT resolutions with the best available technology in a most cost effective manner so the operational efficiency can be maximized at each participating FQHC.