Improving data exchange to support individual health care and social needs through the Data Exchange Framework (DxF) is a high priority for California. Led by California Health and Human Services, Center for Data Insights & Innovation (CDII) works across departments and with healthcare and social services. CDII recently released The Data Exchange Framework Roadmap, 2025-2027. In March, CDII sponsored the 2025 Road to Whole Person Care, DxF Summit bringing together organizations and leaders to expand learning and progress.
CWA and WIC agencies were honored to present a panel describing electronic linkages for referrals and access to data for enrollment and certification. Megan Esparza, CWA, facilitated the panel with Priti Rane, San Francisco WIC, Christine Goulet, Northeast Valley Health Corp. WIC and Dr. Leung, Riverside County Health Department. We appreciate the opportunity to bring forward the work at the local levels to modernize WIC and link to health care.
For the past several years CWA, WIC local agencies and community partners have been focusing on establishing data linkages between WIC and healthcare to modernize and streamline enrollment. San Francisco WIC has made strides with their health care providers using the electronic health record system, EPIC. In Santa Cruz, Nourish California pioneered work with Community Bridges WIC, Serving Communities Health Information Organization (SCHIO), a health information exchange (HIE), Unite Us and health care providers. In Los Angeles, working with the HIE, Los Angeles Network for Enhanced Servies (LANES), two WIC agencies in federally qualified health centers are receiving electronic referrals from their providers and WIC staff can access LANES for a snapshot of the required data for enrollment and certification.
To continue this work, CWA recently received a USDA Community Innovation and Outreach (CIAO)* grant to support scaling and adapting data linkage models between WIC local agencies and health technology partners.
Through the CIAO grant, working with three HIEs, nine WIC local agencies will receive electronic referrals from health care providers and access data from the HIE to certify participants. While the referrals and data access are not interoperable with the California WIC WISE system, staff in WIC local agencies where electronic linkages have been established report that access to data has streamlined the workflow for staff. The linkages create other improvements, lessening the burden on individuals to provide WIC with required information to participate in WIC and streamlining the work for health care providers to send referrals and required data to WIC.
We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Trinity County and Northeastern Rural Health Services WIC agencies serving rural and frontier Trinity, Lassen and Modoc counties and partnering with SacValley MedShare. In Los Angeles we will build on work with Northeast Valley Health Corp. and Watts Healthcare WIC agencies and expand to include Antelope Valley Medical Center, PHFE and City of Long Beach WIC agencies, collaborating with LANES. In San Diego, working with San Diego Health Connect and San Diego 211, TrueCare and San Ysidro WIC agencies will establish linkages with health care providers.
Evaluation will include enrollment of participants new to WIC and measure prenatal and child participation. The project will also examine and test content, timing and format of outreach messages to create or adopt best practices for referral outcomes and managing staff workflow and resources.
We look forward to reporting back on lessons and progress with our CIAO project.
*This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.