Kanta-Hämeen hyvinvointialue, known as Oma Häme, has selected Saga Sosiaalihuolto as its regional social welfare client information system. The system is provided by Mediconsult Oy, a domestic IT supplier specializing in the social and healthcare sector.
The tendering procedure was a negotiated procedure and covered all social care services: services for the elderly, services for families with children, child protection, family law services, substance abuse services, services for working-age people and services for people with disabilities. The procurement benchmark is €1.7 million over four years.
The procurement of the client information system was accompanied by an optional call for tenders for the management systems for home care and institutional care and for the e-services of social care for the residents of the welfare area. These options can be taken up by Oma Häme at its discretion.
The tendering process started in February this year and the procurement decision was taken in October. The tender covers a population base of 170 000 inhabitants and around 2 500 users of the social care client information system, of which 1 500 work in home care. Oma Häme started operating on 1 January 2023 with a multi-CIS model and will move to a single-CIS model through the tender.
- We wanted a turnkey solution for our region, as we were looking for a long-term partner who would take overall responsibility for the solution they provide. The aim of the Welfare Region's business areas and IT departments is to focus primarily on the development of the operating environment and operational processes - a holistic partnership makes this possible. Mediconsult's system was chosen as the SaaS solution because it is the most cost-effective overall compared to other systems available and the current multi-system model," says Toni Suihko, Director of IT at Oma Häme.
The Saga Social Care Customer Information System is a turnkey solution developed for the Finnish social care system and meets all national requirements. It can therefore be implemented quickly.
- According to current plans, the system will be implemented in our welfare area before the summer. We believe that the chosen customer information system will support the harmonisation and development of our operations. We can start working together with confidence," Suihko continues.
Previously, Saga Sosiaalihuolto has been selected through a public procurement process for the welfare areas of Northern Ostrobothnia, Lapland, Central Finland, Pirkanmaa, and Northern Savonia. Together, these five welfare areas, along with the Kanta-Häme welfare area, represent a population base of nearly 1.8 million citizens and over 26,000 users of the client information system.
"I would like to thank Oma Häme for conducting a high-quality procurement process. The independently executed procurement by the welfare area, offered as a comprehensive SaaS service by the supplier, serves as an excellent and encouraging model for other welfare areas that still have these procurements ahead. The system is designed so that, if the welfare area decides, private and third-sector service providers in the region can also become users. This ensures an uninterrupted service chain for the client's service package between the public and private sectors," says Tommi Salaspuro, CEO of Mediconsult.
Kristiina Moilanen, the Director of Social Welfare Business at Mediconsult, expresses gratitude to the welfare areas and their social and healthcare professionals for choosing Saga Sosiaalihuolto and placing their trust in it.
– It is crucial that in the procurement processes, social and healthcare professionals test the available ready-made systems rather than basing their choice on future promises. It was also pleasing to read in Oma Häme's procurement decision that our implementation plan demonstrates a strong understanding of social welfare service processes and their impact on the welfare area's operations. Understanding the everyday realities of Finland's social and healthcare professionals is at the core of the development of the Mediconsult Saga®️ client and patient information system suite, she states.
What benefits does the Saga Social Care client information system bring to social care professionals in welfare areas?
What does the new system enable for welfare area residents using social care services?
Additional information for the media:
Oma Hämeen press release on this topic