Case Study: State of Illinois achieves faster vital records processing and quicker death certificates with Netsmart

Netsmart Helps State of Illinois Speed Vital Records Process

Netsmart Technologies partnered with the Illinois Department of Public Health to replace the state’s aging paper vital records system and address growing wait times for nearly 8,000 diverse users—local registrars, county clerks, coroners, hospital staff, physicians and funeral directors. The primary challenges were converting records to an electronic system, training a large, changing user base with varied skill levels, and controlling costs.

Netsmart delivered a tailored off‑the‑shelf Vital Records System with a branded web portal, self‑registration and a Netsmart University learning management system for online and regional in‑person training. A fax application let funeral directors request and receive physician-signed cause‑of‑death forms electronically, speeding issuance of certified death certificates. The phased rollout trained an estimated 6,000–8,000 users in 10 months, reduced wait times, improved accuracy and has become a model for other states.

State of Illinois

Jill Alters

Illinois Funeral Directors Association