Closed-Loop Referral Platform

A digital platform that facilitates connections between patients and community-based resources (such as food assistance, housing, utilities, transportation, and behavioral health services), and tracks whether referrals are actually fulfilled. Unlike a simple resource directory, a closed-loop platform confirms that the patient received the referred service. Oklahoma's 'Find Help' platform has completed 125,000 referrals since May 2024; the RHTP allocates $400,000 to expand it to all critical access hospitals and county health departments. Closed-loop referral platforms are a foundational component of whole-person care infrastructure, addressing the social determinants of health that drive 80% of health outcomes. The CMS Accountable Health Communities Model demonstrated that systematic identification and referral for social needs reduces emergency department utilization and total healthcare costs. National infrastructure goals increasingly include social care infrastructure alongside clinical care infrastructure, and the integration of closed-loop platforms with HIEs and EHRs is a priority in CMS innovation strategy.