Access OC Programs

Building on the success of its outpatient surgery program which was established in 2007, Access OC is developing several innovative specialty care initiatives. Access OC plans to coordinate the safety net of specialty care by developing interconnected specialty care initiatives. Together, these programs can strengthen the system of specialty care in Orange County.

Based on a statewide survey, community clinic physicians in Orange County stated they were only able to communicate with specialists when they needed to less than five percent of the time. Improving physician communication can have a significant impact on access to specialty care. Access OC is addressing these critical needs through eReferral and Telemedicine.

eReferral: Electronically Connecting Primary Care Physicians and Specialists

eReferral seeks to improve the communication between physicians by creating an electronic consult and referral system. For the eReferral pilot project, Access OC is partnering with Children's Hospital of Orange County pediatric specialists.

Telemedicine: Connecting Specialists with Community Clinics through Technology

The second program is designed to bring telemedicine to the community clinics. For this pilot program Access OC is partnering with Share Ourselves Community Clinics and the University of California, Irvine Medical Center.

Specialty Care Hub: Connecting Specialists On-Site to Community Clinics

Access OC is developing partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) to add specialty services to community clinics. Access OC will provide liaison with health funders, payers, referring community clinics and other providers to the FQHCs as they recruits physicians and addresses the operational issues involved in adding specialty care services. Altamed Health Services is partnering with Access OC as the first hub.

The hub will be developed in two phases. In order to begin quickly, dermatology and neurology will be added to an existing FQHC site in Santa Ana. In the long-term, a new site will be developed. The new site will allow us to serve a much greater number of patients and provide a larger number of specialty clinics.

In the long term, multiple clinics may be designated as specialty care centers throughout the county.