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Walworth County HHS reports Netsmart electronic health record live for public health and behavioral health
Summary
The department reported completion of a two‑phase implementation of a Netsmart electronic health record (EHR): public health went live in September 2024 and behavioral health services went live in January/February 2025. Staff said implementation cost roughly $300,000–$400,000 with annual licensing near $75,000.
Walworth County Health and Human Services reported at the Feb. 19, 2025 meeting that it has implemented a new electronic health record (EHR) system from Netsmart to serve both public health and behavioral health programs.
The department described a two‑phase rollout. Public health staff went live in September 2024 after moving from spreadsheets and no legacy EHR, and behavioral health services went live most recently (staff said this occurred "last month"). Leaders said the transition followed a thorough RFP and vendor selection process and was intended to replace a 12–14 year old legacy system that was no longer supported.
County staff estimated the implementation cost in the neighborhood of $300,000–$400,000 and said annual licensing fees will be roughly $75,000; they noted that licensing fees were already being paid on the outgoing system so annual costs were manageable. Staff said the new system will reduce document scanning, improve billing efficiency and support field staff with electronic forms.
Why it matters: The EHR replaces an aging system, aims to improve billing and record access across public health and behavioral health, and reduces operational risk associated with unsupported legacy software.
Next steps: Staff said a mid‑year follow‑up report will assess operational efficiencies and a decision will be made about legacy data retention and migration while avoiding ongoing unnecessary hosting fees for the old system.
