Oracle : Brightpoint Health remains committed to New York’s neediest after more than 25 years

Oracle NetSuite, one of the world's leading providers of cloud-based financials / ERP, HR, Professional Services Automation (PSA) and omnichannel commerce software suites, today announced that Brightpoint Health, a New York-based nonprofit is using NetSuite OneWorld to expand and further its mission to bring compassionate health care and services to New York's underserved, coordinating behavioral health, primary care and social services.

Founded in 1990 during the AIDS epidemic, Brightpoint Health began as a 66-bed residential facility in the Bronx, serving people living with AIDS who were also struggling with substance abuse. The organization was able to provide comfort and support to thousands of patients, many of whom had been rejected by their families and communities. As AIDS became a treatable condition, Brightpoint expanded its program to provide medical and dental care, behavioral health care, substance abuse treatment and referrals, even as it continues to offer Adult Day Health Care services for its HIV-positive clients. Today, Brightpoint serves more than 30,000 New Yorkers annually across all five boroughs. Among the clients it serves, over 80 percent are recipients of Medicaid and about 70 percent are homeless. For many clients, in addition to instability due to poverty and inadequate housing, their health challenges often include multiple chronic medical and behavioral problems. As a Federally-Qualified Health Center, no one is turned away, regardless of whether or not they have insurance.

'We're serving the population that needs us the most and putting the patient at the center,' said Dr. Barbara Zeller, chief clinical officer, Brightpoint Health.

To achieve that goal, Brightpoint strives to maintain continuous engagement with clients so they can develop the tools to care for themselves, manage their medical and behavioral challenges, and transform their health and their lives for the better.

'Just to be able to come here and see the doctor, it lightens my load a lot,' said Ebony Towns, a Brightpoint patient. 'It helps to know that people actually care still. They care.'

In 2013, Brightpoint began a concentrated expansion effort, opening 11 new sites in a five-year period. As part of that expansion, it invested significantly in its Quality Management Department, seeking to become a data-driven organization with an electronic health record for primary care, behavioral health and dental services. That year, Brightpoint served 4,735 patients, including 2,510 new patients, for a total of 23,357 visits.

Amidst that expansion, Brightpoint quickly determined that its existing DOS-based financial system could no longer meet its needs. After surveying other health care practices and evaluating Microsoft Dynamics GP, Brightpoint selected NetSuite OneWorld for its breadth of functionality, reporting, real-time view of operations and multi-subsidiary management to help manage the organization's four subsidiaries. Month-end close, which once took 90 days, can now be done in 15 days. The comprehensive view of the organization also allows management to make informed decisions, whether that's merging an outside physician's practice into the organization or devoting additional resources to specific locations. In the first two years after implementing NetSuite OneWorld, revenue went up 33 percent and visits went up 77 percent, while the organization continued to open new locations. Now with 13 health centers and multiple service locations, Brightpoint served close to 34,000 patients in 2017 with 188,790 visits.

As a nonprofit, Brightpoint qualified for a donation from Oracle NetSuite Social Impact, which makes available free and discounted software to qualified nonprofits and social enterprises. It has also taken advantage of Suite Pro Bono, where NetSuite employees provided their time and expertise to help Brightpoint Health with NetSuite training and customizations. Brightpoint was also the nonprofit that received technical expertise from NetSuite customers, partners and employees during the Hackathon 4Good at SuiteWorld17. That's allowed Brightpoint to funnel more of its resources toward helping those in need.

'We're very mission focused,' said Zeller. 'NetSuite gives us the support and visibility into operations to continue to serve the neediest New Yorkers.'