Reminder to Cleanup Duplicate Clients in the BUS
In preparation for the implementation of the new CCM system, the BUS team has been working with the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) to identify and merge the records of duplicate clients found in the BUS.
Over the last year, 420 duplicate client records have been identified and merged by the BUS team and OIT. The identification and merging of duplicate clients in the BUS is an essential part of the CCM client data migration plan and will play a big part in making the plan a success. If all duplicate clients are not identified and merged before the data migration, there is a genuine risk of case managers being unable to locate their full caseload in the CCM system.
Between now and the implementation of the CCM system, the Department requests that all CMAs take extra care when entering new clients in the BUS. The BUS does not have sophisticated logic for preventing duplicate clients. Please always remember to search for clients using all available methods before creating a new client in the BUS.
Below are ways to search for a client in the BUS to ensure you are not creating a duplicate, as well as other tips to avoid creating duplicate clients.
Searching for clients in the BUS to avoid the creation of duplicate clients:
- State ID – Most clients in the BUS with Open Statuses have State IDs. Newer clients may not have one.
- Last Name – If the client’s name is hyphenated, try using only one of the names. They might have an older record that needs to be updated.
- SSN – Please verify the client’s SSN. The majority of duplicates are created because the SSN has a mistake. Clients are sometimes entered in the BUS with the placeholder SSN of 111-11-1111, so this should not be the only search performed before adding a client.
- Date of Birth – If one or two of the other methods are not available to check, this is a good way to make sure the client doesn’t already exist in the BUS.
Other tips to avoid creating duplicate clients in the BUS:
- Remove the checkmark in the Limit to Agency box. This will allow the BUS to search for all clients in the BUS regardless of the agency the client is associated with.
- Use a combination search if the last name is common. If the last name is Smith, try searching with Smith and the Date of Birth.
- When searching for a client you can search by any method individually, or in combination.
Should you have any questions about locating or merging duplicate clients in the BUS please contact Rhonda Johnson.