Dear Friends of MHMRA:
The last year of the 20th century, was a year of significant
progress and preparation for substantial changes in the public
"safety net" for persons with mental disabilities
falling under the purview of MHMRA. FY 1999 was the year the
long-awaited NeuroPsychiatric Center (NPC) opened. In response
to extensive input from multiple levels of the local community,
construction progressed toward final completion in the fall
of 1999 for the new emergency psychiatric services component
located within the old Ben Taub Clinic facility of the Harris
County Hospital District. Simultaneously, staffing patterns
and budgetary requirements were shaped, staff recruited and
hired, and policies and procedures developed. NPC’s actual
opening was postponed until October due to construction delays.
Much effort went into preparation for the transfer of the
existing crisis services located on Caroline to anticipate
functioning as the expanded and enhanced psychiatric emergency
and intervention services now called NPC.
To more fully participate in the rapidly changing health care
environment and recognizing the extrapolation of managed care
principles and functions into the public service sector, MHMRA
completed an extensive evaluation of consumer, provider, business,
and management data needs both for Medicaid as well as traditional
state general revenue funded covered lives. The deficiencies
in the Agency’s information system at the time had long
been recognized. In response, the Agency contracted with Anasazi
Inc., to install its practice management system within MHMRA.
Implementation of the conversion was initiated with the start
of FY 2000 (September 1, 1999). Anasazi was selected in part
because of its demonstrated track record in Texas, providing
coverage to 23 MHMR Centers across the state, including the
ability to address and link with the data transmission needs
of our primary funder, The Texas Department of Mental Health
and Mental Retardation. Extensive involvement of Agency staff
at all levels of the organization was required to define the
criteria for selection, review the bids in response to the
RFP and the IS capabilities therein, select the best fit for
recommendation to the Board of Trustees, and then, following
completed contract negotiations, undertake the intensive process
of shaping the system for implementation to address the needs
of MHMRA of Harris County. For our Agency, this was no small
feat and holds significant capabilities for our future. Re-engineering
the Agency’s infrastructure to provide timely, accurate
information to meet all payor requirements was and continues
to be critical to the long-term well being of MHMRA as a full
player in the managed behavioral healthcare environment of
the future. In fact, negotiations were initiated with Anasazi
during the fiscal year to develop an additional, free-standing
but interfaced software system to better enable MHMRA to address
the critical administrative and monitoring functions of managed
care.
MHMRA continues to monitor the HB 2377 "Authority"
pilots and the evolution of these functions within TDMHMR.
Anticipating these changes and requirements, MHMRA heightened
the role and activities of its public input planning advisory
councils (PACs). Through the four independent PACs addressing
child/adolescent mental health, mental retardation, adult
mental health, and medical issues, consumers, family members,
professionals, advocates, provider organizations, and interested
citizens provide extensive input, guidance, and interaction
pertaining to community needs and strategic direction to the
board of trustees and administration relating to the services
and supports delivered by and through the MHMRA provider network.
And, for the first time, MHMRA initiated its Network Advisory
Council (NAC), a new requirement of the TDMHMR Performance
Contract. The NAC is focused upon operational issues, composed
primarily of members from the strategic planning PACs and
will help the Agency define what would be considered to be
"best value" for Harris County. Ultimately, the
NAC will assist us in establishing processes and procedures
to evaluate our services and supports in order to ensure the
taxpayers of Harris County as well as our elected officials,
that we, as an organization, utilize the available resources
within a fiscal year in an efficient, effective fashion that
meets the "best value" criteria.
Ever changing and continuously evolving, MHMRA remains committed
to ensuring quality, consumer-focused services and supports
for our Harris County residents with mental disabilities and
their families. The necessity of serving increasing numbers
of persons in need of public care in the face of limited tax-based
resources, coupled with intensified pressure to earn more
of the resources needed to maintain responsivity and capacity,
was more apparent than ever before. We deeply appreciate the
trust bestowed upon us by the public at large and our elected
officials to manage and shepherd the public resources on behalf
of many of Harris County’s most impaired persons with
mental disabilities and their families.
Sincerely,
Gray Hampton Miller _______________________Steven
B. Schnee, Ph.D.
Chairman, MHMRA Board of Trustees ________-Executive
Director, MHMRA
