San Diego Health Connect

What San Diego Health Connect does

San Diego Health Connect (SDHC) is a non-profit Health Information Exchange (HIO) organization incorporated in California that operates a cloud-based platform unifying healthcare data exchange across San Diego and Imperial Counties. Founded around 2011 and headquartered in San Diego, SDHC serves as the regional health information utility connecting hospitals, FQHCs, health plans, EMS agencies, public health departments, and community-based organizations. It was designated a Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) by the California Health and Human Services Agency Center for Data Insights and Innovations in October 2023 under the state's Data Exchange Framework (DxF), one of only nine such designations state-wide.

SDHC's core technology is a cloud-based HIE platform built around a Clinical Query Portal supporting real-time and historical longitudinal patient data queries via user login or SSO. Its product portfolio comprises modular offerings: EMS Connect (cloud platform with the SAFR Model for prehospital-to-ED data transmission including MPI lookup at dispatch, live vitals/EKGs during transport, and automated EMR filing), Event Notifications (rule-based alerts for ED admits, frequency thresholds, and cohort tracking), Public Health Reporting (Electronic Lab Reporting, Syndromic Surveillance, vaccine reporting), and Social Drivers for Health (integration with 211 San Diego's Community Information Exchange to surface clinical and social needs data side-by-side). The technical stack emphasizes interoperability across disparate EMRs and stakeholders using national frameworks (eHealth Exchange, CareQuality, HITRUST-certified infrastructure).

SDHC operates a sales-led enterprise GTM motion, acquiring participants through direct engagement with healthcare organizations across San Diego and Imperial Counties. It monetizes through HIE participation/membership agreements (recurring subscription-style dues), interface and connectivity managed services, and QHIO/DxF intermediary services for DxF-mandated health and social services entities. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; prospective participants complete a Participant Inquiry Form. SDHC maintains HITRUST certification and participates in CareQuality, eHealth Exchange, Civitas Networks for Health, and CAHIE, serving as the trusted regional HIE for approximately 70+ organizations including all major San Diego health systems and health plans.

Name

San Diego Health Connect

Legal name

San Diego Health Connect

Website

https://sdhealthconnect.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

San Diego Health Connect is a non-profit Health Information Exchange operating a cloud-based HIE platform serving hospitals, FQHCs, health plans, EMS agencies, and community organizations across San Diego and Imperial Counties, designated as a California QHIO under the state's Data Exchange Framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Information Exchange

NAICS

Health Care and Social Assistance (62), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

HIE Platforms & Network Services (Community/Regional/National) (HLACABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Payer-Provider Data Exchange (X12, prior auth, claims/clinical attachment) (HLACABAK), Health Information Exchange & Public Health Data Integration (HLAJAJAD)

Keywords

• Health information exchange
• HIE services
• Clinical data exchange
• Interoperability platform
• Healthcare data integration

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. HIE Participation/Membership: Healthcare organizations join as participants through participation agreements, likely paying subscription or membership fees for access to the HIE network and Clinical Query Portal services.
2. Interface and Connectivity Services: Streamlines the number of interfaces organizations need to other organizations and manages them on behalf of participants, generating service fees.
3. QHIO Services: As a Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) designated in October 2023, SDHC provides data exchange capabilities to help DxF participants meet their Data Sharing Agreement requirements, supporting health and social services entities in California.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

San Diego Health Connect operates a cloud-based Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform that enables real-time and historical longitudinal patient health data exchange among healthcare providers, hospitals, EMS agencies, health plans, laboratories, and community-based organizations. The offering centers on the Clinical Query Portal and includes modules such as EMS Connect (with the SAFR Model for prehospital data transmission), Event Notifications, Public Health Reporting, Social Drivers for Health (CIE integration), and Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) services under California's Data Exchange Framework.

Product overview

San Diego Health Connect is a non-profit Health Information Exchange (HIE) organization serving San Diego and Imperial Counties. It operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its Clinical Query Portal, which provides query-based exchange for real-time and historical longitudinal patient health data. The product portfolio includes integrated modules: Social Drivers for Health (Community Information Exchange integration), EMS Connect (cloud-based pre-hospital data platform), Event Notifications (custom alert subscriptions), Public Health Reporting (ELR, Syndromic Surveillance, vaccines), and the SAFR Model (real-time EMS-to-hospital coordination workflow). As a QHIO under California's Data Exchange Framework, SDHC also offers intermediary data exchange services to connect health and social services entities to the statewide DxF.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EMS Connect: Cloud-based platform connecting EMS agencies, hospitals, and community health organizations using the SAFR model to streamline data flow from the field to the hospital and back
• SAFR Model
• Clinical Query Portal

Products and services

• Clinical Query Portal Subscribed providers can query patient data via the HIE portal through user login or SSO access, searching for patient medical history, labs, medications, procedures, discharge summaries, and CIE information.
• EMS Connect A cloud-based platform connecting EMS agencies, hospitals, and community health organizations using the SAFR model to streamline data flow from the field to the hospital and back. The EMSConnect Hub transmits pre-hospital data directly to the ED, enabling hospital staff to prepare resources before patient arrival.
• SAFR Model Delivers seamless, end-to-end care coordination connecting EMS teams and hospitals in real time. Searches the Master Patient Index at dispatch to surface critical clinical details before crews arrive, alerts receiving hospitals during transport with live vitals, EKGs, and care notes, automatically files complete EMS records into the EMR after handoff, and reconciles demographics, payer data, and clinical outcomes back to the EMS agency.
• Event Notifications Providers can subscribe to notifications for selected patients who experience a specific event (e.g., ED admit) or match pre-identified criteria (e.g., 3 ED admits in 30 days), or to track a defined cohort such as a diabetic population.
• Public Health Reporting Facilitates Electronic Lab Reporting (ELR), Syndromic Surveillance, and vaccine reporting to the public health department.
• Social Drivers for Health Integrates San Diego 211's Community Information Exchange (CIE) with the HIE Clinical Portal, allowing providers to view clinical and social data side-by-side for holistic patient care.
• QHIO/DxF Data Exchange Services Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) services supporting the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework (DxF), providing secure data exchange as a designated intermediary to assist health and social services entities in sending, receiving, and replying to information requests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced interface costs for organizations through streamlined connectivity
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 211 San Diego/Community Information Exchange (CIE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2024211 San Diego/Community Information Exchange and San Diego Health Connect have joined forces to bring cutting-edge technology, seamless data integration, and genuine community engagement. The partnership integrates CIE with the HIE Clinical Portal, allowing providers to view clinical and social data side-by-side. This collaboration supports Medicaid reforms like CalAIM and champions health equity through social needs data. Together, they're revolutionizing care coordination and tackling disparities in communities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Civitas Networks for Health: National member organization that convenes HIEs, RECs, and health data collaboratives — including SDHC as a member. Not a direct competitor, but represents the broader ecosystem in which regional HIEs operate and through which national interoperability policy is shaped.
• CommonWell Health Alliance: National interoperability network operated by major EHR vendors that enables cross-vendor record exchange. Competes with regional HIEs by allowing providers to bypass intermediaries for person-level data lookup.
• Epic Care Everywhere: Epic's EHR-embedded interoperability network that handles cross-organization exchange for Epic-using providers. Where SDHC's participants are Epic shops (Scripps, Sharp, UCSD, Rady), Care Everywhere can substitute for portions of HIE functionality.

Direct peers

• Health Current (Arizona): Arizona's designated HIE providing clinical data exchange, event notifications, and HIE-as-a-service to providers, hospitals, and health plans. Operates a similar QHIO-equivalent role within Arizona's interoperability framework.
• Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE): One of the largest and longest-running regional HIEs in the US, offering clinical exchange, results delivery, and analytics to Indiana providers. Comparable in operating model and participant mix to SDHC.
• Los Angeles Network for Enhanced Services (LANES): Regional HIE serving Los Angeles County with clinical data exchange, event notifications, and QHIO-designated services under California's DxF. Closest functional analog to SDHC in a different California geography.
• Manifest MedEx: California's largest nonprofit HIE, also designated as a QHIO under the same DxF framework. Operates a query-based exchange and event-notification services across a broader California footprint, directly competing with SDHC for participants and QHIO mandates.
• Collective Medical Technologies (PointClickCare): Care-coordination and event-notification network acquired by PointClickCare, used by hospitals, EDs, and payers for real-time ADT notifications. Directly overlaps with SDHC's event-notification product and competes for the same payer and provider budgets.
• CRISP (Chesapeake Regional Information System for Our Patients): Statewide regional HIE serving Maryland, DC, West Virginia, and surrounding regions with clinical exchange, event notifications, and public health reporting — a strong architectural and service-mix parallel to SDHC's model.

Others

• 211 San Diego / Community Information Exchange: Strategic partner rather than competitor — operates the social needs/CIE side of SDHC's combined clinical-and-social data offering. Relevant as an ecosystem peer that enables SDHC's social determinants integration differentiator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SDHealthConnect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-health-connect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Diego Health Connect