The City of Santa Fe announced on May 5 that a new case study shows the Santa Fe CONNECT initiative has produced more than $33 million in combined health care savings and household economic value since its launch in 2019.
The findings are significant for local residents, as they highlight the measurable benefits of coordinated care efforts between city and county partners. The initiative is designed to connect residents with health care and public services through a shared referral platform.
According to the case study, Santa Fe CONNECT has generated $13.4 million in health care cost savings and $19.7 million in direct value for households over the past several years. Since its inception, the program has expanded from eight programs and 13 navigators to a network involving 79 organizations and more than 300 navigators. Key outcomes include more than 17,500 referrals supporting over 13,000 residents, an increase in case resolution rates from 72 percent to 90 percent, and nearly 3,300 administrative hours saved.
The report highlights how public leadership alignment, community partnerships, and shared technology can improve outcomes while increasing efficiency and accountability. It also points out that addressing nonmedical needs at scale could generate up to $45.4 million in additional health care savings for Santa Fe County based on comparable models.
Santa Fe CONNECT is presented as a scalable approach that other communities may adapt to strengthen their own systems of care coordination.
