InteropNow! at ViVE Podcast

In this episode of the Interop Now at Vibe series on The Beat Podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Joe Graw, Chief Growth Officer at ImageTrend, for a fascinating and deeply personal conversation about the data gap that exists between the ambulance and the emergency department. Joe has been at ImageTrend for nearly 25 years and brings both an engineer's precision and a genuine personal mission to a topic most health system leaders have never fully considered. With 70 million EMS encounters in ImageTrend's network annually and one in three ED patients arriving via EMS, the pre-hospital data source is too important to ignore. From an automated patient-matching algorithm to transport-pattern analytics that signal demand shifts before hospitals feel them operationally, this episode makes a compelling case that EMS data is the earliest and most underutilized demand signal in all of healthcare. In this episode, they talk about:One in three patients arriving in the emergency department comes from EMS, making pre-hospital data one of the most important upstream data sources in healthcareImageTrend processes nearly 70 million EMS activations annually across its networkThe NEMSIS standard is used by 100% of EMS and fire departments that treat patients, making it a universal foundation for pre-hospital interoperabilityMost EMS to hospital data transfer still happens via PDFs, faxes, face sheets, or portal logins, none of which are usable at the point of careImageTrend's proprietary patient matching algorithm eliminates the need for deterministic fields like MRN numbers, removing a major workflow barrier for paramedicsEMS transport patterns are the earliest demand signal in healthcare, revealing referral leakage, access issues, and capacity problems before hospitals feel them operationallyVirginia-based health care organization Carilion Clinic is automating 20,000 EMS transports annually into their EHR using ImageTrend, with outcomes data flowing back to EMS agencies to close the quality loopHealth systems that treat EMS agencies as strategic data partners rather than just transport services are better positioned to keep care close to homeA Little About Joe:Joe’s passion to learn and explore new ideas in the industry is about more than managing the growth of ImageTrend – it’s forward thinking. Engaging in many facets of ImageTrend is part of what drives Joe. He is dedicated to our community, clients, and their use of data to drive results, implement change, and drive improvement in their industries.

In this episode of the Interop Now at Vibe series on The Beat Podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Niall O'Neill, Chief Product Officer at Oneview Healthcare, for a warm and insightful conversation about what it actually means to transform the inpatient experience through technology. Niall shares the origin story of Oneview, from winning their first US contract against entrenched incumbents at UCSF's Mission Bay Hospital to the launch of Ovie, a digital care assistant that is redefining how patients, families, and care teams connect inside a hospital room.From meal ordering to nurse escalation triage to natural language conversations about care plans, this episode paints a vivid picture of what a truly connected patient room looks and feels like and why the language we use to describe it matters more than most people realize.(Below is the paragraph submitted with the episode)This episode reframes the idea of the “smart patient room” by introducing the Connected Patient Room – not as a product or trend, but as a way to think more clearly about how care actually happens in and around the room. We’ll explore how a digital Care Assistant - Ovie - brings that model to life by connecting patients, families, and care teams through shared, real‑time context. Episode Highlights:Oneview beat major incumbents to win their first US contract at UCSF Mission Bay in 2014, and the market is only now catching up to that original visionMcKinsey found that a third of a nurse's day could realistically be saved through technology optimization and delegationOver 80% of patients with access to the Oneview system actively use it, and two-thirds use it beyond entertainmentIn 2025 alone, over 780,000 meals were ordered through Oneview's patient room tablets and TVsOvie is the digital care assistant that serves as the brain of the connected patient room, with access to EHR data, care schedules, precautions, and patient interactionsOvie Voice handles natural language questions from patients and families, knowing when to answer and when to escalate to a nurse with full contextOvie Console gives nurses a real-time view of patient interactions embedded directly inside EpicThe connected patient room is not about technology first; it is about five capabilities: monitoring, anticipating, connecting, personalizing, and orchestratingCIOs should define the capabilities they need before selecting vendors, not the other way aroundA Little About Niall:Niall O’Neill is Chief Product Officer at Oneview Healthcare, where he leads product innovation and AI transformation. Previously, as Chief Customer Officer, Niall has played a pivotal role in shaping Oneview’s growth through a blend of customer-centric leadership and technical insight. Before joining Oneview, Niall held consulting roles at Accenture and Deloitte. He holds a BA in English Studies and an MSc in Multimedia Systems. 

In this episode of the InteropNow! at ViVe series on The Beat Podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Ray Sabourin, Healthcare Vertical Subject Matter Expert at Ericsson, for a fascinating and surprisingly accessible conversation about the connectivity infrastructure that will determine whether healthcare's AI ambitions actually succeed. Ray has spent 30 years in wireless technology and brings a clear-eyed, no-hype perspective to a topic most CIOs have not fully thought through yet. From autonomous vehicles in mines to HoloLens in operating theaters in Singapore to the simple frustration of losing a call in a hospital elevator, this episode makes the case that 5G is not a luxury upgrade for healthcare. It is the foundation that everything else depends on. In this episode, they talk about:Ericsson powers roughly half the world's cellular infrastructure and is now bringing enterprise-grade 5G directly to hospitalsWi-Fi was built for location-based general use; 5G is built for mission-critical, mobile, clinical performanceHospitals can now own their own private 5G network using CBRS spectrum without relying on carriersPrivate 5G is far more secure than Wi-Fi because SIM-based encryption protects both the device and the network simultaneouslyThe neutral host approach, bringing the carrier signal indoors via distributed radio rather than a distributed antenna, is the recommended first stepCleveland Clinic and Tampa General are among the early US health systems building out private 5G infrastructureDeploying AI at scale in healthcare requires infrastructure that can handle massive, continuous data collection from sensors, cameras, and devicesAI is a Ferrari on a gravel road: buying cutting-edge AI tools without upgrading connectivity infrastructure is a recipe for poor performancePhysical AI, including autonomous nurse carts and hospital robots, is already on the horizon and requires mobile, seamless connectivity that Wi-Fi simply cannot guaranteeA Little About Ray:Ray Sabourin is a healthcare technology strategist focused on helping hospitals and large health systems design wireless environments that can support the next decade of digital care delivery. At Ericsson, Ray works closely with provider organizations at the intersection of IT, clinical operations, and infrastructure to improve reliability, reduce operational risk, and prepare for AI‑driven workflows.Ray’s background spans wireless infrastructure, healthcare operations, and large‑scale digital transformation in complex clinical environments. His work centers on helping health systems move from “good enough” connectivity to must‑not‑fail wireless performance that clinicians and care teams can depend on.

AI may be the hottest topic in healthcare, but most organizations still aren’t ready to use it at scale.  In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with the CEO of Hart, Dominique Gross. Together, they break down the real barriers holding healthcare back: from fragmented data and legacy EHR systems to inconsistent standards and limited access. Dominique shares how building a semantic data layer is helping organizations unlock their data, scale innovation safely, and move from pilot projects to real enterprise impact.In this episode, they talk about:Many healthcare organizations are eager to adopt AI, but they struggle to scale beyond pilot programs due to foundational data challenges.The most immediate barrier to innovation is simply gaining access to all relevant data across fragmented and legacy systems.Data quality is just as critical as access, as organizations must normalize and clean their data before it can be used effectively.Legacy electronic health records often contain valuable historical data, even if organizations are hesitant to use it due to inconsistencies.Patients ultimately benefit when their full medical history is accessible, rather than only recent encounters.HART has developed a semantic data layer that acts as a “translation system” across different EHRs, enabling consistent data use.This approach allows organizations to aggregate, migrate, and stream data more efficiently across dozens of systems.One health system successfully scaled from connecting a small number of affiliates to centralizing more than 60 data sources over time.The same organization was able to complete a major EHR migration in under 12 weeks by extracting, normalizing, and preparing data for a new system.Proprietary data models within EHR systems create significant barriers to interoperability and data portability.Despite increasing regulation and improved standards, accessing complete and meaningful data remains a challenge across vendors.Market consolidation is likely to continue, as organizations seek fewer vendors that can handle multiple data needs.Clinical research remains an underutilized opportunity, with many organizations still relying on manual processes to identify eligible patients.Improving data accessibility could dramatically accelerate patient recruitment and engagement in clinical trials.Simple improvements in data completeness and standardization can have immediate impacts on reimbursement, efficiency, and patient care.A Little About Dominique:As CEO of Hart since 2023, Dominique Gross provides healthcare data leadership, guiding the company’s mission to eliminate healthcare data fragmentation and empower organizations to achieve true interoperability. With more than two decades of experience driving health IT innovation and go-to-market strategies, Dominique has shaped Hart’s focus on making the impossible possible every day, ensuring that every innovation at Hart advances both operational efficiency and equitable patient care. Prior to joining Hart, Dominique led strategy and growth initiatives at multiple firms, working as one of the industry's prominent healthcare technology executives to launch connected care solutions for veterans and major health systems. Her leadership philosophy centers on collaboration and integrity, guiding Hart to serve as both a technology provider and a trusted partner for healthcare’s most complex data challenges. Dominique is a frequent speaker on the future of healthcare data ecosystems and a strong advocate for patient empowerment through healthcare data accessibility. 

In this episode, host Sandy Vance welcomes back Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, Chief Strategy Officer at DirectTrust, for her third time on the show. This time the conversation goes deeper than ever, covering three major developments: DirectTrust's role in vetting apps for the new CMS Medicare App Library, the launch of a groundbreaking AI accreditation program built on the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and the urgent but widely misunderstood gap in HIPAA coverage that leaves millions of consumers thinking their health data is protected when it really isn’t. If you work anywhere in the health tech ecosystem, this episode is essential listening.In this episode, they talk about:HIPAA only covers covered entities and business associates, meaning most consumer health apps have little obligation to protect your dataThe CMS Medicare App Library is a vetted directory of trusted digital health apps, and DirectTrust is helping validate which apps earn a spot in itWhen CMS moves, the rest of the industry follows, making this app library a trust signal far beyond Medicare beneficiariesDirectTrust's AI accreditation program is built on the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and assessed by independent third-party reviewersThe program will offer two tiers: a foundational version for organizations early in their AI journey and a comprehensive version for those with greater maturityThe four pillars of the AI accreditation program are governance, management, mapping, and measurementAI is unlike any other technology implementation because it touches every aspect of an organization simultaneouslyDirectTrust's annual conference is October 20th and 21st in Kansas City at the Oracle Innovations CampusA Little About Kathryn:Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, MBA, FACHDM, CHPC, is Chief Strategy Officer at DirectTrust®, the national non-profit alliance and accreditor building trust in healthcare technology and secure information exchange. With nearly two decades of advancing interoperability, identity, privacy, and technical trust, she leads community engagement, communications, and strategic partnerships, shaping national standards and policy. Kathryn is a recognized thought leader featured in outlets like Healthcare IT Today and Health IT Answers, and under her leadership, DirectTrust has earned multiple HITMC awards, including Marketing Team of the Year in 2025. She has been named among the Top 50 Women Chief Strategy Officers and Becker’s 100 Women in Health IT to Know.

Healthcare has more data than any industry in the world—but without trust in that data, it’s almost useless. In this episode, Clay Ritchey, Chief Executive Officer of Verato, breaks down why identity is the missing foundation behind interoperability, AI, and better patient experiences. From fragmented records to failed digital transformation promises, Clay shares how solving “who is who” unlocks everything from improved clinical outcomes to lower costs—and why now is the moment healthcare can finally get it right.In this episode, they talk about:Why healthcare generates massive amounts of data but struggles to use it effectivelyThe core problem: lack of trust in data due to poor identity resolutionWhat it means when one patient exists as 10 different records across systemsHow fragmented identity impacts patient experience and clinical outcomesThe connection between clean data and successful AI adoptionWhy consumers are driving change with higher expectations for digital experiencesThe role of identity in enabling true interoperability across organizationsHow Verato creates a single longitudinal view of patients across thousands of data sourcesThe impact of identity on reducing duplicate tests, costs, and delays in careWhy this moment—AI + regulation + consumer demand—is a tipping point for healthcareA Little About Clay:Clay Ritchey is the Chief Executive Officer of Verato. Clay brings more than 20 years of experience driving growth and innovation in market-leading healthcare technology organizations to Verato. As CEO, Clay is passionate about working with healthcare, life science, and government organizations across the care continuum to transform the way that consumers and patients engage with them to build deeper relationships resulting in improved outcomes and sustainable growth for our customers.

In this episode of the Interop Now at Vibe series on The Beat Podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Adam Luff, VP of Product Solutions at Infor, and Jesse Evans, Product Director for Infor FHIR Services, for a deep and practical conversation about why semantic interoperability is the make-or-break factor for AI in healthcare. With decades of experience between them, Adam and Jesse explain why organizations that skip the data normalization step are building on a foundation that will eventually collapse. From prior authorization workflows to longitudinal patient records, this episode is essential listening for any healthcare leader who wants to understand what AI-ready infrastructure actually looks like.In this episode, they talk about:AI cannot make sense of data that is not semantically normalizedIntegration wires things up; interoperability makes the data actually usableA single patient can exist under multiple names and identifiers across dozens of systemsFHIR is not a replacement for HL7, it is the latest version of the HL7 specificationPoor data quality in EHRs is the rule, not the exception, even at well-resourced organizationsEvent-driven architecture enables prior authorization workflows to run with no human interventionInfor's longitudinal patient record viewer pulls data from up to 70 archival systems into one normalized viewThe FHIR server is becoming the source of truth, replacing the EHR as the authoritative recordBed turnover and discharge workflows are where providers are capturing real, measurable ROI right nowA well-governed, normalized data platform unlocks an almost unlimited number of AI use casesA Little About Adam and Jesse:Adam Luff has been with Infor for six years and has spent about 20 years in the provider space. Before Infor, he worked at a company that manufactures large MRI and CT machinery. He focuses on business impact with provider organizations.Jesse Evans has been at Infor for about 10 years, first as a Principal Solutions Architect and now as Product Director for Infor FHIR Services. He has been in the healthcare enterprise industry for about 20 years, with deep expertise in integration engines, interoperability, and FHIR standards.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Dr. William Morris the Chief Medical Officer at Tennr and practicing hospitalist. Together, they unpack one of healthcare's most persistent and costly problems: the referral process. From patients navigating confusing next steps to providers sending orders into a black hole, Dr. Morris brings both clinical and technical expertise to a conversation about how AI-powered automation is finally making referral management smarter, faster, and more patient-centered. If your organization is losing patients to leakage, battling two-month wait lists, or drowning in faxes and phone calls, this episode is for you.In this episode, they talk about:Referral breakdowns hurt patients, sending providers, and operators equallyLong wait lists signal demand but hide dangerous access and safety gapsTennr handles referrals across every channel, including fax, phone, portal, and EHRAI manages unstructured documents and payer criteria so staff can focus on patientsDigitizing a broken process just makes “broken” more expensiveDynamic triage, not just faster processing, is the real solution to access problemsSecret shopping your own referral process is the fastest way to find what is brokenA Little About William:Dr. William H. Morris is the Chief Medical Officer of Tennr, the leading AI-powered healthcareautomation platform that specializes in processing medical referrals, patient flow, and priorauthorizations. Before joining Tennr, he was the Chief Medical Information Officer of GoogleCloud Healthcare and Life Sciences. Before his work at Alphabet Inc., Dr. Morris served as the Chief Innovation Officer of Cleveland Clinic Innovations and as the Associate Chief Information Officer for the Cleveland Clinic, where he had oversight of the design, development, and deployment of all clinical IT systems and health IT innovations. Dr. Morris also served on the Cleveland Clinic's Board. Dr. Morris is board-certified in Internal Medicine and continues to practice. He earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and completed training in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. He also holds an MBA from Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Frank Toscano, the new Senior Vice President of Product and Engineering at Amplify. They talk about the continued relevance of fax technology in healthcare, the challenges of interoperability, and how Amplify aims to streamline workflows to improve patient care. Frank highlights the importance of integrating fax technology with modern systems to enhance efficiency and reduce friction.In this episode, they talk about:Fax remains an important part of healthcare communicationMany interoperability challenges come down to integration and mappingPrior authorizations often still depend on faxHow Amplify supports healthcare organizations of all sizesStreamlined patient referrals can improve care deliveryHealthcare is an interconnected ecosystem that affects outcomesMaximizing existing technology boosts operational efficiencyAI helps connect data for better decision-makingEffective solutions start with understanding real workflowsEliminating legacy technology isn’t always the best optionThe future blends proven methods with modern technologyA Little About Frank:Frank Toscano is a nationally recognized product and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience modernizing how healthcare organizations exchange documents, automate workflows, and connect systems through AI-driven interoperability. As Senior Vice President of Product & Engineering at Amplify, he serves as the company’s public-facing technology voice and strategic advisor, guiding product innovation, engineering excellence, and enterprise integrations. Previously, as Vice President of Product Management at Consensus Cloud Solutions (eFax Corporate), Frank led the transformation of legacy fax into cloud-native, HIPAA-compliant interoperability services, delivering FHIR integration, TEFCA-aligned exchange, AI-powered document processing, and large-scale workflow automation used by thousands of healthcare organizations. A named inventor with multiple U.S. patents in secure communication and intelligent document workflows, Frank has also held senior leadership roles at Cellebrite, Cleo, and Retarus, consistently bridging deep technical architecture with real-world clinical and operational needs to reduce manual burden and improve care coordination.

In this conversation, host Sandy Vance welcomes back to the podcast Will Tesch, CEO of HealthLX and TESCHGlobal, to explore what’s new, what’s shifting, and what’s finally gaining momentum in the world of healthcare data exchange. Their discussion digs into the evolving regulatory landscape, the push toward shared data standards, and the real-world challenges organizations are wrestling with as they work to make healthcare data more accurate, connected, and meaningful. It’s an insightful look at how collaboration, communication, and smarter technology are shaping the path forward.In this episode, they talk about:How today’s regulatory pressures are reshaping healthcare data exchangeWhy reaching a “common data goal” is so difficult—and what it takes to align the mapThe biggest challenges organizations face on the road to interoperabilityWhat we’re learning about data accuracy, consistency, and API performanceKey takeaways from FlexPA’s newest API reportWhy socializing the value proposition matters more than everHow better communication leads to better care for everyoneExploring the mission behind CocoData.orgA Little About Will:Will Tesch is an accomplished leader whose career in information technology innovation spans more than 30 years across healthcare, supply chain, manufacturing, and more. He is currently the founder and CEO of HealthLX, bringing composable automation solutions that solve data exchange and healthcare interoperability for payers, providers, and HIT vendors.

Not all 5G is created equal. With their blend of future-proofed intelligent standalone architecture, national infrastructure, and mid-range spectrum, T-Mobile is well positioned to partner with healthcare organizations undergoing digital transformation. If you think you know the art of the possible in healthcare connectivity, T-Mobile’s 5G Standalone (5G SA) just might surprise you. In this episode of the InteropNow podcast, host Sandy Vance chats with Jay Noschese from T-Mobile and Karl Connolly from Pixel Health about their collaboration to implement a 5G SA enablement platform at Boston Children’s Hospital and how they demonstrated and delivered value with 5G SA from business case to turnkey solution.In this episode, they talk about:The unique needs of devices in motion, and the shortcomings of wifi in meeting themNetwork connectivity as a critical success factor to Boston Children’s EHR implementation and increasingly mobile care delivery modelWhat makes T-Mobile’s 5G Standalone offering different – coverage, capacity, and capabilityCollaboration between T-Mobile and Pixel Health to establish ubiquitous in-building communication at Boston Children’s including device provision and operation of help deskFuture use cases, mission-criticality and wireless potential unlocked by enhanced coverage and security of T-Mobile’s 5G SAHow 5G SA removes barriers to access for patientsConsidering the costs of transformationA Little About Jay Noschese & Karl Connolly:Jay is a T-Mobile senior sales manager, 5G ANS/Enterprise Connectivity Sales - T-Mobile for Business. As a Senior Sales Manager within T-Mobile for Business Solution Sales Organization, Jay leads a dedicated team of sales specialists who are knocking down walls and barriers to drive the adoption of T-Mobile’s 5G Standalone (5GSA) Advanced Network Solutions in the healthcare sector. Their mission is to empower healthcare providers with cutting-edge secure connectivity, including Hybrid and Private Networks, to enhance patient care, streamline clinical operations, and support digital health innovations.Karl is the VP of 5G Strategy at Pixel Health. He is transforming how healthcare connects, collaborates, and delivers care by helping health organizations embrace digital evolution with guidance, innovation, and some seriously cool tech.Pixel Health’s mission is simple: empower healthcare teams with the tools and strategies to do more, reach further, and achieve better outcomes. They’re constantly partnering with health systems, vendors, and IT leaders to bring real-time data, smart devices, and virtual care to life, thanks in large part to 5G.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Kristen Valdes founder and CEO of b.well, and Ryan Howells from Leavitt Partners for a lively and insightful conversation about the future of digital healthcare. This discussion dives into not only the policies and programs making headlines but also the practical, on-the-ground changes needed to make healthcare more connected, accessible, and patient-centered.Together, they unpack some of the biggest shifts happening in the industry right now, including:The latest updates from CMS on modernizing digital healthcareb.well’s transition to becoming a CMS-aligned networkCARIN Alliance’s accomplishments and bold vision for what’s aheadNational initiatives shaping the healthcare landscape—and what they mean for patients, providers, and innovatorsHow organizations can work alongside TEFCAThe three key steps needed to finally “kill the clipboard”The critical role of the private sector in advancing progressA Little About Kristen:Kristen Valdes is the founder and CEO of b.well Connected Health. She is a transformative force in today’s healthcare marketplace, spearheading the conversation on how empowering consumers can transform healthcare delivery. Kristen is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 20 years in the industry and has dedicated her life to pioneering inventive solutions. This quest has been largely driven by her powerful personal story as the mother of a child suffering from a significant autoimmune disorder.A Little About Ryan:Ryan Howells is a nationally recognized expert in digital health policy and interoperability. Based in Leavitt Partners’ Washington, D.C. office, he collaborates with the private sector, the White House, Congress, HHS, and the VHA to improve health care nationwide.

Ever wonder why your healthcare providers can't just send each other your medical records with a simple click? Or why coordinating care between your primary doctor and a specialist feels like watching a game of telephone played in slow motion?In today's episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, Chief Strategy Officer for DirectTrust, to unpack the complex world of healthcare communication security. DirectTrust are the architects working behind the scenes to build the digital bridges that could revolutionize how your medical information travels safely between providers. Identity-verified communication is absolutely critical for patient safetyIn this episode, they talk about:Why identity-verified communication is critical in healthcarePush-based interoperability vs. query-based exchange: What’s the difference and why it mattersHow DirectTrust enhances healthcare interoperability and secure communicationUnderstanding Direct Secure Messaging and its role in protected health information (PHI) exchangeThe challenges of creating a national directory of healthcare providersHow the Elizabeth Dole Veterans Act improves care coordination between the VA and community providersA Little About Kathryn:Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, MBA, CHPC, CHTS, is the Chief Strategy Officer at DirectTrust, where she leads strategic partnerships, community engagement, and national efforts to advance trusted health information exchange. With over 15 years in health IT, she’s helped shape standards, policies, and technology around privacy, interoperability, and provider communication. A former HIPAA compliance officer, Kathryn’s insights have been featured across top health IT publications and podcasts. She’s been recognized as one of Healthjump’s “10 Healthcare IT Leaders You Should Know” and the 2022 HITMC Marketing Professional of the Year. She also founded the Interoperability Hero and Team Interop initiatives, celebrating innovation and collaboration in healthcare tech.

When you hear T-Mobile, you probably think about smartphones and streaming—but there’s a whole lot more happening behind the scenes. In this episode of the InteropNow Podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Jay Noschese from T-Mobile to explore how their cutting-edge 5G Standalone (5GSA) network is revolutionizing the healthcare industry.In this episode, they talk about:How 5G is reshaping healthcare communication and workflowThe hidden impact of next-gen networks on healthcare infrastructureWhy many organizations are rethinking their connectivity strategiesThe real limits of Wi-Fi—and why 5G is the perfect companionBuilt-in security: How T-Mobile keeps sensitive data safeMaking the numbers work: How to track ROI on your network investmentsA deep dive into T-Mobile’s collaboration with SAVA Systems—and how their latest innovations are accelerating remote diagnosticsA Little About Jay:Jay is a T-Mobile senior sales manager, 5G ANS/Enterprise Connectivity Sales - T-Mobile for Business. As a Senior Sales Manager within T-Mobile for Business Solution Sales Organization, Jay leads a dedicated team of sales specialists who are knocking down walls and barriers to drive the adoption of T-Mobile’s 5G Standalone (5GSA) Advanced Network Solutions in the healthcare sector. Their mission is to empower healthcare providers with cutting-edge secure connectivity, including Hybrid and Private Networks, to enhance patient care, streamline clinical operations, and support digital health innovations.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Charlie Harp, the CEO of Clinical Architecture to talk about the importance of data quality. They discuss the Patient Information Quality Improvement (PIQI) Alliance, an open-source framework for measuring healthcare data quality. The framework is designed to provide a standardized way to assess the usability and trustworthiness of clinical data across different formats like FHIR, CCDA, and HL7. Charlie emphasizes the importance of data quality for healthcare analytics, decision support, and AI, and explains how PIQI scores data quality with detailed metrics.In this episode, they talk about:PIQI Alliance provides a standardized framework to measure healthcare data quality. The framework is vendor-agnostic and works across multiple data formats (FHIR, CCDA, HL7).PIQI scores data at holistic and data-class levels (labs, medications, and immunizations).PIQI is open source to make it available for everyone.Clinical Architecture offers a commercial implementation called PIQXL Gateway for practical use.The framework is being balloted through HL7 for validation, but is not rooted solely in HL7 standards.Data quality is critical for effective AI use in healthcare.The alliance encourages industry participation to improve the framework.PIQI can help organizations meet regulatory requirements and improve data governance.The PIQI website offers resources, documentation, and ways to get involved.A Little About Charlie:Charlie Harp is the founder and CEO of Clinical Architecture, a pioneer in healthcare data innovation. With over 35 years in the industry, he led the creation of the first deterministic engine for semantic interoperability. Today, he drives Clinical Architecture’s mission to transform healthcare through cutting-edge software and expert-led services. A frequent speaker and thought leader, Charlie also hosts the Informonster podcast, where he dives into data quality, interoperability, and the future of health IT.

Host Sandy Vance chats with Chris Sault from Ping Identity. They discuss the importance of digital identity management in healthcare. Ping Identity aims to eliminate trust challenges in authentication and identity management, acting as a digital front door for organizations. The conversation highlights the importance of user experience and security, particularly in regulated environments like healthcare, where adherence to standards such as HIPAA is essential. Sault emphasizes the need for proactive measures in identity verification and the role of APIs in improving data interoperability. They also cover the evolving landscape of healthcare technology, the balance between security and user experience, and the importance of patient empowerment in selecting providers. In this episode, they talk about:The critical role of identity management in ensuring secure and efficient healthcare deliveryPing monitors API traffic, detects threats, and preemptively eliminates threats Specific challenges organizations face in healthcare identity managementGive up privacy for convenienceHow Ping Identity differentiates itself from competitors in the identity management spaceFuture trends in healthcare tech regarding interoperability and how healthcare security systems will lookA Little About Chris:Chris Sault is a passionate and results-oriented sales leader with over 24 years of experience in the software industry, focusing primarily on analytics and identity management. Throughout his career, he has spearheaded go-to-market development for the healthcare verticalization at Qlik, ForgeRock, and Ping Identity, driving massive business growth and revolutionizing user experiences. Chris resides in the Boston, MA area with his wife and two daughters. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his family, golfing, practicing yoga, and engaging in various outdoor activities.

In this episode of the podcast, Sandy sitsdown with Sheetal Jain, Chief Technology Officer at HorizontalDigital, to explore how connected digital experiences aretransforming healthcare. From building patient trust to streamlining data access for stakeholders, this conversation dives deep into the technology,strategy, and heart behind healthcare’s digital evolution. Sheetal shares insights on how Horizontal Digital is bridging gaps between patients, providers, and systems—makinghealthcare more accessible, efficient, and secure. Got questions or feedback? Reach out to the Horizontal Digital team at [email protected] this episode, they talk about: 🚀 The journey of Horizontal Digital and its mission to humanize digital experiences in healthcare 🔗 How interoperability is key to connecting patients, providers, and platforms⚙️ Frictionless integration enabled by cutting-edge healthcaretechnology💡 Top challenges facing healthcare CIOs today—and what’s being done to solve them📊 Why FHIR implementation is still lagging and what that means for the industry🌐 Addressing the digital divide and healthcare accessibility🛠️ How Horizontal Digital supports organizations by implementing custom tech solutions  🤖 AI’s growing role in healthcare and how to build a thoughtful, strategic AI roadmap💬 Why AI should enhance—not replace—human interaction📈 How data + AI can drive actionable insights for better health outcomesA Little About Sheetal:With over a decade in technology consulting, Sheetal has grown from guiding enterprise digital transformation programs for global enterprises to leading a worldwide team of nearly 300 architects, engineers, developers, and analysts. His team is tasked with planning and implementing programs that align people, processes, technology, and data to deliver meaningful business ROI. He is a Salesforce Data Cloud Partner Advisory Board member, and his technology expertise spans multiple clouds, including Experience, Engagement, Content, Commerce, and Data.

In today’s episode of the InteropNow! podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Elad Benjamin from Philips to explore the company's efforts in achieving medical device interoperability. They dive into how Philips is ensuring seamless data exchange to improve patient care, and discuss the readiness of health systems' data strategies for this transition. Elad highlights the importance of thoughtful decision-making when managing healthcare data and the value of adopting a vendor-neutral infrastructure. Tune in for insights on the future of healthcare data integration and its impact on both providers and patients.In this episode, they talk about:How Phillips is achieving interoperability for patientsAre health systems' data strategies ready for this transition?Sit down with your team and make thoughtful decisions about how to manage dataThe importance of putting in a vendor-neutral infrastructureHow the acquisition of Capsule has impacted advancement in PhilipsEnsuring patients’ privacy and help them be more comfortable around devicesA Little About Elad Benjamin:Elad Benjamin is the newly appointed Head of AI Innovation at Philips, bringing over 20 years of experience in Healthcare IT. With expertise in enterprise informatics and imaging, Elad has held senior roles including GM of Radiology and AI Informatics at Philips. Before joining Philips, he co-founded Zebra Medical Vision, a leader in AI and Deep Learning for radiology. Elad also played a key role in Lumenis' NASDAQ IPO and led Carestream’s Healthcare Information Solutions group. He holds an MBA from Stanford and a BSc from Tel Aviv University.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits with two leading voices in healthcare cybersecurity: Jason Sherwin, the Sr Director, Healthcare Business Development at CLEAR and Anil Sethi the Founder & CEO of Selfii. Together, they explore how innovation in identity verification and data access is reshaping the healthcare landscape—making it more secure, seamless, and patient-centered.In this episode, they talk aboutHow CLEAR and Selfii are helping patients and healthcare organizations reduce friction and enhance data securitySelfii’s mission to empower individuals and enterprises to unlock the full value of their health recordsThe surprising ways HIPAA has been weaponized—and what it means for patients and providersThe difference between interoperability and portability, and why both matterHow cybersecurity underpins the missions of both CLEAR and SelfiiHow Selfii supports B2B partners without requiring licensed medical professionalsA Little About Jason and Anil:Jason Sherwin is a healthcare innovator with 15 years in health tech, specializing in business development and product strategy. Known for leading technology-driven change, he thrives in cross-functional collaboration across the C-suite, IT, operations, and marketing. While earning his MBA at NYU Stern, he applied his studies in real time—sharpening his focus on leadership, change management, and metrics-driven transformation.Anil Sethi is the CEO of Selfii, a healthcare data company driven by personal loss and professional vision. A serial entrepreneur, Anil has built and sold several companies, including Gliimpse (acquired by Apple) and Ciitizen (acquired by Invitae). His mission is deeply personal—after caring for his sister Tania through her battle with cancer, Anil witnessed firsthand the failure of structured data to capture a patient’s true story. Today, he’s redefining how healthcare data is accessed and understood—putting people, not paperwork, at the center of care.

In this episode of InteropNow, host Sandy Vance sits down with BJ Schaknowski, CEO of symplr, to explore how platform-driven strategies are revolutionizing healthcare operations. As health systems navigate increasing internal and external pressures, BJ shares valuable insights on how CIOs are leading the charge in this transformation. The discussion delves into key topics like consolidating tech stacks, application rationalization, and improving interoperability—critical steps to boosting operational efficiency, saving time, and ultimately enhancing patient-centered care. Tune in to learn how these strategies are shaping the future of healthcare.In this episode, they talk about:How symplr is transforming healthcare operations and patient care.Key steps for integrating symplr’s platform into healthcare systems.How market trends are shaping exciting new interoperability solutions.The current wave of positive change in the healthcare industry.Collaborating with Redox and LK to enhance healthcare connectivity.Working with competitors to benefit the overall healthcare system.How AI will drive the next wave of innovation for symplr and healthcare.A Little About BJ:BJ Schaknowski is a seasoned software executive with over 25 years of leadership experience. Prior to becoming CEO of symplr, he served as Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Vertafore, a leading insurance technology provider, and held senior roles at LexisNexis, CA Technologies, Intuit, and Sage Software. BJ is committed to creating value for employees, customers, and shareholders. He holds a BA in Communications from the State University of New York at Geneseo and an MBA from the University of Georgia. BJ also served 8 years in the U.S. Marine Corps infantry. He lives in Denver with his wife, Heather, and two children.

In this episode, Sandy Vance chats with Jason Barr, the VP of Healthcare for ID.me, about the crucial role of patient identity in achieving true interoperability among various healthcare systems. In a previous episode, Jason and Sandy discussed how ID.me is innovating the healthcare industry. Today, they continue that conversation and explore where healthcare stands on its journey toward full interoperability. If you have any questions or comments about what you’ve heard today, feel free to reach out to Jason at [email protected]. In this episode, they talk about:Understanding Healthcare Interoperability: Breaking down the definition of interoperability and its impact on patients and healthcare professionals.ID.me’s Role in Advancing Interoperability: How ID.me is helping reduce administrative burdens and allowing patients to access healthcare applications online using a single login.Fraud Prevention in Healthcare: How experts in identity, like ID.me, are staying ahead of fraud tactics used by cybercriminals.Simplifying Identity Verification: How ID.me is reducing friction in identity verification processes for healthcare providers and patients.A Little About Jason Barr:Jason Barr is the VP of Healthcare for ID.me, the leading digital identity wallet in the United States. His team is focused on improving healthcare interoperability with trusted and portable identity verification and SSO to remove friction and fraud from healthcare for both patients and providers. The ID.me wallet works across EHRs, Hospitals, Pharma, Payers, and other healthcare applications.  Jason has more than 20 years of leadership experience, primarily focused on delivering technology solutions that have helped many healthcare organizations enhance the delivery of care.  He started his career as an Army Officer with combat tours in Iraq, followed by leading growth organizations to solve complex technology problems. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, followed by an MBA from The Ohio State University.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance is joined by Frank Harvey, Chief Executive Officer for Surescripts to explore the company's innovative technological approaches to tackling inefficiencies in prior authorization. They also discuss interoperability’s vital role in improving healthcare and highlight Surescripts’ upcoming innovations for the year.In this episode, they talk about:The story behind Surescripts and its impact on the healthcare industryThe challenges of prior authorization for prescriptions and its effects on clinicians, pharmacists, payer organizations, and patientsHow healthcare interoperability enhances patient care and improves efficiencyThe implementation and impact of the Surescripts systemSurescripts’ partnership with TEFCA (Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement)A Little About Frank:Frank Harvey joined Surescripts as CEO in 2022, bringing over 35 years of experience in leadership and investment roles within the healthcare technology, pharmacy, and pharmaceutical industries. With a deep understanding of healthcare’s challenges, Frank is dedicated to advancing health information sharing and empowering clinicians to deliver safer, more informed, and cost-effective care.

In this episode of the InteropNow! Podcast, Sandy Vance sits down with Claire Reilly, RN MSc from Imprivata. Together, they recap the key takeaways from Imprivata's participation at the ViVE 2025 conference, focusing on mobile device access and security innovations, passwordless authentication, and predictive analytics in the context of healthcare organizations' digital transformation strategies.In this episode, Claire and Sandy discuss:Their experiences at ViVE 2025The primary use cases for ambient listening AI, like AbridgeImprivata's showcase at ViVE: authenticating and digitally cleansing devices for medical staff, and securing medical device accessHow Imprivata’s approach to authentication differs from others: passkeys and facial recognitionConcerns and pushback regarding facial recognition and other passwordless authentication methodsThe role of clinicians in healthcare digital transformation as technologies and AI continue to evolveImprivata’s efforts to address cybersecurity challenges in digital transformationClaire Reilly, RN MSc, is the Chief Nursing Informatics Officer and VP of Clinical Operations at Imprivata, where she leads the integration of healthcare IT security with clinical practice. With over 25 years of experience, she has worked globally as an Emergency Room RN in locations like Qatar, the UK, Massachusetts, Bermuda, and Saudi Arabia. She holds a Master’s in Health Informatics from the University of Central Lancashire and is passionate about enhancing end-user efficiency and security to drive higher adoption of healthcare technologies.A Little About Claire:

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Mike Stover, the Director of Product Management at Concord Technologies, about Concord’s straight-through processing system for healthcare. Research shows that manual processing creates billions of dollars of waste. Straight-through processing, which started in the financial industry, is a touchless approach to data management. It reduces admin burden by simplifying document processing and allowing customers to rapidly clear data from a document or inbox.In this episode, they talk about:The story behind straight-through processing and what it looks like for healthcare Straight-through processing can help the healthcare industry using:Secure document exchangeClassify documentsPull and transform informationValidating data and informationWhat is the ROI of implementing this system?How Concord allows customers the opportunity to customize their experienceCollaborative STP and how Concord will use it to partner with other tech companiesA Little About Mike:Mike has spent 20 years working in the digital fax and intelligent document processing space.  He joined Concord in March of 2023 and is the Director of Product Management for Concord Technologies. Mike brings his expansive knowledge of a myriad of distinct enterprise scale fax environments and customer interoperability needs and requirements to set the course for the Concord Connect platform of the future.   He holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona. 

Episode SummaryIn this episode, Sandy Vance speaks to Rich Foster, Head of Enterprise Communications at Tata Communications. Tata Communications, a part of the Tata Group, is a global company that works across verticals., In healthcare, it integrates seamlessly with existing systems to enable dynamic and interactive patient communications.The Customer Interaction Suite helps healthcare providers meet patients where they are, both through their communications platform as well as their call center service. Sandy and Rich discuss the types of solutions Tata Communications provides, how healthcare organizations can catch up with rapidly changing technology, and the future of AI in healthcare.Episode NotesSandy and Rich begin by discussing Tata Communications’ acquisition of Kaleyra, Inc., and how the acquisition helped them reach new heights in improving patient experiences. They move into the specific services theyprovide within the Customer InteractionSuite (CIS) and how these services help healthcare organizations communicate with their patients efficiently. Rich also offers advice for how healthcare practices can keep up with technological changes and discusses the future of AI in healthcare and for CISspecifically.In this episode, they discuss:The primary use-cases for the the Customer Interaction Suite (CIS)Its two key services, which are Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) and Call Center as a Service (CCaaS)How it enables healthcare organizations to communicate with patients where they would prefer to be reachedHow healthcare organizations can keep up with changing technologyWhy healthcare has lagged behind major technological shifts on the patient communications sideSimple changes that healthcare organizations can make with high ROI on invoice payment times, staff satisfaction, and moreFuture opportunities for Tata to innovate, particularly around AIA little about Rich:Rich Foster is the Head of Enterprise Business at Tata Communications. He has led technology sales for over 20 years, driving multi- million-dollar growth and orchestrating successful turnarounds in diverse settings. He saw Kaleyra through its acquisition by Tata Communications and has been with the organization for a year. Renowned for strategically revitalizing customer experience, Rich has made impressive progress at Tata by swiftly achieving profitability across multiple sales channels. A masterful relationship builder and sales strategist, Rich has earned a reputation as a trusted business development leader in the CPaaS space.

In this episode, Sandy Vance interviews Dominique Gross, the CEO of Hart, Inc. Hart was started in Irvine, California with the mission of building a healthcare API for other healthcare community members to develop on. Dominique explains Hart’s niche as a healthcare API with an open standards approach, and how this approach fills in the gaps that other APIs cannot. She also explains Hart’s role in helping healthcare systems through mergers and acquisitions and the future of Hart as it moves into helping clients beyond data access.Episode NotesSandy and Dominique begin by discussing Hart’s open standards approach, which allows it to provide information on non-standardized areas of data like notes. This approach makes Hart uniquely equipped to help healthcare systems through mergers and acquisitions; aggregating data and driving access on the physician side. Sandy and Domonique also explore hart’s work in quality metric reporting and discuss Hart’s future in helping its clients make sense of the data.In this episode, they discuss:How Hart’s open standards approach works, and how it allowed Hart to carve out a niche in healthcare APIThe unique challenges that healthcare organizations face during mergers, and how Hart helps them with data accessibility through those challengesData management and access during mergers from the physician sideThe system interactions and lack of standardization that Hart addressesTrends like consolidation in private equityThe evolution of quality metric reporting, and Hart’s role in helping clients with reportingHow Hart provides healthcare systems with a complete picture by fully representing the complexities and grey spaces of the dataA little about Dominique:Dominique Gross is a seasoned executive and leader with extensive experience in the healthcare industry, known for scaling businesses and driving growth through strategic, customer-centric marketing. With a background in mechanical engineering and an MBA in Technology, she combines technical expertise with business acumen to launch innovative products and lead cross-functional teams. As the CEO of Hart Inc., Dominique Gross leads a company known for being a trusted healthcare IT partner, leveraging a tech-first approach to deliver cost-effective and time-efficient data solutions. Hart's offerings include data migration, continuous data feeds, cloud migrations, and archival services, all designed to ensure data is secure, compliant, current, and easily accessible. Under Dominique's leadership, Hart focuses on maximizing resources through streamlined data transformation technologies that reduce costs and minimize the time required from healthcare teams, enabling clients to close care gaps, deliver precise analytics, and efficiently manage data, all while enhancing patient care.

Summary : In this conversation, Sandy Vance discusses the pivotal role of mobility in boosting clinical efficiency and ensuring patient safety, while discussing best practices for optimizing and adopting shared mobile devices for workforces, and utilizing identity and access management solutions to navigate complex workflow and security challenges with Dr. Sean Kelly, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Customer Strategy, Healthcare at Imprivata. Dr. Kelly is also an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, part-time at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Laney Health. The discussion highlights Imprivata's latest advancements in mobility, interoperability, password-less authentication technologies, and data analytics, underscoring how healthcare organizations can harness the power of innovation to accelerate and optimize their digital transformation strategy. Episode Notes Sandy Vance and Dr. Sean Kelly speak about Imprivata’s role in enabling and securing digital healthcare access; both in letting the right people in and keeping bad actors out. The cybersecurity environment in healthcare is increasingly high-stakes as bad actors ramp up attacks on healthcare providers. Imprivata is helping providers mitigate risks and enhance efficiency with adaptive security, leveraging innovative tools for user identification, such as password-less authentication. Dr. Kelly emphasizes the importance of using a variety of user identifiers in different situations, allowing for a frictionless experience for healthcare providers while keeping patient records and healthcare data safe.  In this episode, they discuss: The role that Imprivata plays in ensuring seamless workflows while maintaining security in the EHR and digital systems The changing cybersecurity environment in healthcare and the sector’s growing push for mobility  The key measures required to enable efficient and secure mobile device access How  Imprivata’s technology helps organizations enforce security protocols like two-factor authentication without hindering workflows or care processes  Adaptive security measures based on user behavior, including remote access protections and two-factor authentication Password-less authentication mechanisms, like biometrics and passkeys How Imprivata utilizes different identity verification tools to keep bad actors out while reducing or eliminating security friction A little about Dr. Kelly: Dr. Sean Kelly, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Customer Strategy for Healthcare at Imprivata. He leads the company’s clinical workflow team and advises on the clinical practice of healthcare IT security. He has worked with Imprivata for over a decade, seeing its growth from a startup into a key player in the healthcare software industry. In addition, Dr. Kelly practices emergency medicine at Beth Israel Lahey, an academic training hospital and trauma center. He is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School, where he has won several awards for his work. 

In this episode, Host Sandy Vance is speaking with Duncan Weatherston, the Co-Founder and CEO of Smile Digital Health. Smile Digital Health is an enterprise-level data platform that uses AI and automation to parse its vast collection of data. Duncan explains how AI acts as an accelerator in healthcare delivery, how increased data access allows AI to produce more accurate results, and the challenges that AI adopters still face. Weatherston also discusses Smile’s focus on data quality, and how this focus has expanded alongside AI adoption.  Sandy Vance and Duncan Weatherston discuss AI and automation at Smile Digital Health, specifically as it applies to structured data. As Weatherston explains, artificial intelligence acts as an accelerating force in healthcare, and allows Smile to deliver care faster than ever. Sandy and Duncan also take an in-depth look at data quality at Smile Digital Health; and Duncan explains the AI and automation innovations that he is watching moving into 2025. In this episode, they discuss: The challenges healthcare data platforms face when scaling How Smile Digital Health helps practitioners deliver care by providing them with access to data How AI works as an accelerator in healthcare How the amount of data behind Smile Digital Health allows it to produce verifiable answers with AI The value of structured data in transforming care Smile Digital Health’s strategies to maximize data quality Why data quality is higher and more reliable than it’s ever been  A little about Duncan: Duncan is the Co-Founder and the CEO of Smile Digital Health. Duncan has a long history of technical solutions leadership, delivery and implementation stretching back to the late 1980s. With a career spanning more than 30 years and a multidisciplinary background in business and product development, systems integration and support, Duncan has been recognized as one of the key thought leaders and innovators in the healthcare IT industry today. His impact in the healthcare sector includes lead roles in designing and delivering integrated health records, Electronic Health Record (EHR) services, and identity and security infrastructure. He also served as the Lead Architect for the Ontario Digital Health Drug Repository (ODHDR), managing a database with billions of records containing critical medication history for Ontarians in Canada. While working as the chief architect for the Connecting GTA project in 2011, Duncan and his co-founders realized that the industry needed a high-performance, efficient, interoperable, and secure solution for shared health data; and that the HL7® (Health Level 7) FHIR® (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) open standard was the perfect fit for their goals. Together they began Smile Digital Health, which kicked off its first commercial release of Smile CDR in December of 2016. Today, Smile Digital Health is a company of over 300 staff with over 200 global implementations of the Smile Health Data Fabric. Duncan holds the vision of #BetterGlobalHealth where the future of healthcare is grounded in a seamless integration of electronic health and healthcare delivery, eliminating artificial distinctions. Duncan's management style is characterized by team-building with a practical and results-oriented approach and inspirational real-life vision of what healthcare should look like for every person. His focus is driving digital health transformation at the organizational, regional and global levels so that appropriate and timely healthcare can be accessed by every person, when they need it, wherever they are.

Today Sandy is joined by two key figures from Santech—President and CEO Neeraj K. Sharma and Chief Growth Officer David Van Houtte. Together, they’ll explore how Santech is driving forward interoperability in healthcare through cutting-edge solutions and automation. Tune in to discover how Santech is reshaping data management by enhancing better provider-payer interactions, and building a more connected healthcare ecosystem. If you have any questions for Santech, you can reach them via their website or product websites for iNetwork and MyEnroll. In this episode, they talk about: Santech’s automation solutions streamline data management for healthcare providers. Santech’s integration with FHIR APIs allows providers to directly access and update their listings in payer directories. Santech Provider Management System lower administrative time while increasing Provider and Patient interaction during medical visits. How Santech leverages FHIR standards to enhance interoperability across payer networks and infrastructure. The process and benefits of transitioning from existing systems to Santech’s innovative solutions How Santech is transforming the healthcare industry through improved data management and interoperability How Santech contributes to creating a more cohesive and efficient ecosystem in the healthcare sector A Little About Neeraj: Santech President & CEO Neeraj K. Sharma is a distinguished leader in healthcare technology with over 25 years of experience, dedicated to simplifying Healthcare IT for healthcare organizations. As the President & CEO of Santéch, Neeraj has been instrumental in driving innovation and transformation within the healthcare industry. Santéch, under Neeraj’s leadership, has carved a niche in developing simple, scalable solutions that empower hospitals, practices health plans and networks to enhance efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and reduce costs. The company focuses on transforming network and provider management through advanced technology and strategic insights. His leadership at Santéch is characterized by a relentless focus on innovation, customer-centricity, and operational excellence. A Little About David: Chief Growth Officer David Van Houtte brings more than 25 years of extensive experience in healthcare to Santech. Previously, he served as Vice President of Network at CVS Health Aetna, where he led provider network and value-based strategies. As the Chief Growth Officer at Santéch, David is passionate about improving provider data accuracy and creating operational efficiencies through improved provider onboarding workflows. He is responsible for implementing Santéch's go-to-market strategy with both payor and provider organizations, promoting the company's innovative Provider Data Management solutions, I-Network and I-Enroll. Outside of work, David loves sailing and Spartan Racing.

Check out today’s podcast as Sandy chats with Corrine Micklos (dbMotion at Altera) and Al Kinel (Strategic Interests LLC) about the evolution of HIEs over the past decade, the current challenges they face, and the future direction. They'll discuss how Altera addresses these challenges, meeting unmet needs by aggregating and harmonizing discrete data from hospitals and communities across regions, states, and the nation while presenting complete patient records at the point of care. If you would like to learn more or connect with us, visit here. In this episode, they talk about: How data sharing has progressed and evolved in the healthcare industry Current challenges in the healthcare data sharing process How dbMotion facilitates healthcare data sharing How dbMotion has transformed systems and leveraged FHIR Future projections for dbMotion and healthcare data interoperability Advancing healthcare interoperability on a global scale A Little About Corrine: Corrine Micklos has had a distinguished career in the healthcare technology industry, delivering excellence in award-winning sales, account management, and the building of strategic client relationships. Her role encompasses the alignment of Altera solutions with hospitals’ and health systems’ business and clinical goals, ensuring long-term client satisfaction with the technologies and success in their delivery of high-quality care to their patients and communities. Corrine’s extensive experience and proven track record in the healthcare technology sector highlight her ability to drive business growth with her comprehensive understanding and execution of client-specific strategies through the delivery of the innovative solutions we are here to talk about today, all of which help her prospects and clients meet the evolving needs of the healthcare industry and their specific healthcare organizations. A Little About Al: Al Kinel is the founder and President of Strategic Interests, LLC, (SI) a consulting firm transforming healthcare through innovation. SI works with providers, payers, collaboratives, and vendors to create a long-lasting, positive impact on outcomes and financial performance with advisory and implementation services on HIT, interoperability, population health, and value-based payment programs. Before starting SI, Al worked for top-tier professional services firms and served as a leader in technology management for Xerox and Kodak Health Group. In these roles, he helped transform several industries. Al is a strategist, activist, and catalyst who helps leaders address their “strategic interests” while simultaneously addressing the challenges of communities. Al has enjoyed playing this role introducing and supporting major initiatives in his community and beyond. Al has frequently helped a myriad of stakeholders to collaborate and advance the effective use of HIT, and interoperability has been a key aspect of strategies and initiatives.

The last time Sandy talked with Bevey Miner (in episode 38, “Clarity in the Cloud”), they chatted about how Consensus Cloud Solutions is solving the problem of creating structured documentation from unstructured documents.  Today, they delve into the impact of these advancements on health equity across the nation. They also explore the role of the EVP of Healthcare Strategy & Policy at Consensus Cloud Solutions in enhancing interoperability within healthcare systems. For more information or if you have any questions for Bevey, reach out to her at [email protected] or check out the Consensus website. In this episode, they talk about: Consensus focuses on the mission to bring healthcare to structured data Unstructured data is particularly concerning in underserved markets The funding needed to change from paper to electronic health records Incentivizing investments in this technology Health Equity by Design Companies are hindered from interoperability due to lack of funding A Little About Bevey: Bevey Miner has over 25 years of experience in healthcare technology. Serving in senior and executive positions, she has been instrumental in leading strategy, product management, business development and go-to-market programs. She is an expert in established and emerging healthcare IT markets.

Introduction:  In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Jason Sherwin, Senior Director of Healthcare Business Development at CLEAR , and Alex MacLeod, Director of Healthcare Solution Innovation at InterSystems. With the partnership between CLEAR and InterSystems, the future of interoperability looks much more tangible and streamlined. Today, Sandy, Jason, and Alex discuss the implications of this partnership for healthcare, their integration with AI technologies, and the future prospects for CLEAR, InterSystems, and the interoperability industry. In this episode, they talk about: How CLEAR and InterSystems work toward interoperability The newest projects and objectives of both companies How CLEAR and InterSystems plan to work together toward their common goals The consumerization of healthcare and building customer trust The role of AI in their products and services The types of people who will benefit from this partnership Deployment plans for this partnership Product demo of the CLEAR and InterSystems offering, presented at the 2024 InterSystems Global Summit  Press release announcing the CLEAR and InterSystems partnership  To learn more about CLEAR, visit clearme.com/healthcare To learn more about InterSystems, visit intersystems.com A Little About Jason: Jason is a strategic thinker with a passion for disrupting the status quo in healthcare. He has 15 years of experience in health tech, specializing in business development and product strategy. Jason is also an expert in the technological landscape and effectively managing technology-driven change. He prides himself on his ability to collaborate cross-functionally with leadership including C-suite and colleagues in IT, operations, and marketing.  He completed his MBA at the Stern School of Business part-time which allowed him to apply his classroom learning in his real-world work. His specialization in Leadership & Change Management has enhanced his skills in building new technology and developing effective strategies for managing organizational change and measuring success. A Little About Alex: Alex works toward advancing healthcare’s journey toward interoperability. She also loves helping organizations make better decisions with seamless systems integration and healthy data as the director of Healthcare Solution Innovation at InterSystems.

For over a decade, DirectTrust has been committed to establishing trust in a connected world. Learn more about how they've grown, and what's next. Today Sandy is chatting with Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, the chief strategy officer for DirectTrust. Their conversation centers around how DirectTrust has grown and what the future holds for the company and the world of app accreditation and security compliance. To learn more about DirectTrust’s Annual Conference, check out their LinkedIn page, official website, or follow them on Twitter/X. In this episode, they talk about: What DirectTrust offers in terms of accreditation, trust services, and creating regulatory standards How healthcare providers can integrate trust services into the technology they use The merger between EH NAC and DirectTrust and its implications for accreditation and compliance DirectTrust partnerships with other healthcare partners The value of health app accreditation in the uncertain world of app security The erosion and rebuilding of trust in the cybersecurity landscape DirectTrust’s Annual Conference (September 22nd through 25th) A Little About Katheryn: Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, MBA, CHPC, CHTS, is DirectTrust’s Chief Strategy Officer, supporting both the short- and long-term organization vision through leading community engagement, communications initiatives, and strategic partnerships, while influencing nationwide standards, technology, and policies for health information sharing and trust among diverse healthcare providers. With over 15 years in health IT, Kathryn has played key roles in modernizing healthcare technology, including serving as a HIPAA privacy and security compliance officer and promoting health data interoperability. Her insights have been featured in numerous health IT blogs, podcasts, and journals. She was honored as one of Healthjump’s 2023 10 Healthcare IT Leaders You Should Know and the 2022 Healthcare and IT Marketing Community Marketing Professional of the Year. Kathryn is particularly proud of creating the Interoperability Hero and Team Interop initiatives, which highlight her commitment to advancing health technology.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance and guests Dr. Peter Schoch and Therasa Bell from Kno2 dive into the evolving landscape post-TEFCA/QHIN and explore the critical importance of achieving end-user adoption, particularly at the edge of healthcare systems.  Their discussion centers on the critical challenge of achieving widespread user adoption in healthcare, emphasizing the complexities of fostering connectivity for effective treatment delivery and workflows. They also explore how interoperability significantly impacts treatment quality. The conversation underscores the financial implications of time management within the healthcare system and provides insights into the current national landscape of interoperability. In this episode, they talk about: The critical importance of achieving user adoption Challenges in fostering adoption and connectivity for effective treatment delivery Maintaining EHR connectivity during user downtime Impact of interoperability on enhancing treatment outcomes The financial implications of not achieving interoperability in healthcare National-scale status of interoperability Obstacles hindering healthcare organizations A Little About Peter: Dr. Peter Schoch is the Chief Health Officer at Kno2. Dr. Schoch is a board-certified internist and accomplished physician executive whose passion and life’s work is to drive value to those who consume, provide, and purchase healthcare. Through 20 years in clinical practice in Internal Medicine and two decades serving as a physician executive leading 2 major health systems through transformational change in care delivery, population health, practice transformation, network development, and home-based services, he has gained an intimate and broad knowledge of healthcare. He is leveraging this experience in healthcare to transform Kno2 from an excellent technology company into a meaningful technology company. A Little About Therasa: Therasa Bell is the cofounder, president, and CTO at Kno2, an organization recognized by Health and Human Services as a Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) under the Trusted Exchange and Common Agreement (TEFCA). For over a decade, Ms. Bell has been a thought leader and health IT disrupter focused on driving healthcare connectivity and interoperability. Her commitment to serving combined with her ability to simplify the complexities of patient information exchange and clinical workflows infuse her interactions with everyone around her and powers the company's purpose to democratize healthcare communication for all through Kno2's patented technology and go-to-market strategy. 

In this episode, host Sandy Vance is joined by Jason Barr the VP of Healthcare at ID.me & Kyle Neuman the former DirectTrust Identity Lead to share insights about federated identity and its importance within the digital healthcare workflow.    As more and more health data becomes available digitally, it is important to provide an efficient and secure means of identifying individuals in order to verify their access to the clinical information.  The episode will provide explanation to federated identity.   How federated identity can reduce friction and cost when verifying individuals.   What are some of the value of federated identity for the future, like the  escalation of fraud is rapidly changing the healthcare landscape, emphasizing the critical importance of identity and security. We will discuss strategies to secure access points for patients, providers, and staff. Kyle and Jason break down what federated identity is, the significance of combining authentication and verification, and how digital identity can achieve security and ease of use simultaneously." In this episode, they talk about: Federated identity minimizes friction for providers and customers in the verification process Digital identity aims to reduce fraud, streamline identity resolution, and enhance authorization processes Assurance levels and why is it important and use in healthcare The problems that digital identity solves Verification is not synonymous with identity Internal network access does not guarantee trustworthiness Federated identity facilitates portable authentication and verification Exploring the significant ROI benefits of federated identity A Little About Kyle: Kyle Neuman has served as Managing Director of SAFE Identity/SAFE-BioPharma Assoc, Director of Trust Framework Development at DirectTrust, and CISO | VP of Strategy at Zeva Inc. He currently runs a boutique management consulting firm supporting the digital identity space called NeuCastle Inc. He has either worked with, worked for, or ran nearly all of the major Trust Frameworks supporting digital identity in the US. He has held executive leadership roles in multiple organizations with a focus on digital identity, cryptography, and Trust Frameworks. As a subject matter expert in bridging the gap between business needs and applied cryptography, Kyle develops strategy, policy, and architectures for a variety of commercial, government, and non-profit organizations to enable support for digital identity in a way that is scalable across the nation, trustworthy, and cost-effective. A Little About Jason: Jason Barr is the VP of Healthcare for ID.me, the leading digital identity wallet in the United States. His team is focused on improving healthcare interoperability with trusted and portable identity verification and SSO to remove friction and fraud from healthcare for both patients and providers. The ID.me wallet works easily across EHRs, Hospitals, Pharma, Payers and other healthcare applications.   Jason has more than 20 years of leadership experience, largely focused on delivering technology solutions that have helped many healthcare organizations enhance the delivery of care.  He started his career as an Army Officer with combat tours in Iraq, followed by leading growth organizations to solve complex technology problems. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, followed by an MBA from The Ohio State University.

The road to compliance with HTI-1 and other ONC mandates is a bumpy one. Darena is trying to help patch the potholes and create a smoother ride for health IT companies, healthcare organizations, and providers.  Previously, Sandy spent some time behind the mic with the President and Chief Information Security Officer of Darena, Patrick Scheiss about efficient FHIR enablement. Today Sandy chats with another member of the Darena Solutions team: Wayne Singer, the Senior VP of Regulatory Affairs. Wayne has an extensive background in healthcare and is a wealth of information regarding the latest mandates. He offers some tips on how companies can stay up-to-date in this quickly evolving stage of the compliance process as it advances toward interoperability. Contact Darena through MeldRX, or learn more about the company and the latest healthcare tech industry news by checking out their YouTube page. In this episode, they talk about: Overview and objective of new ONC mandates specifically the HTI-1 rule  The difference between  A9 Clinical Decision Support to B11 Clinical Decision Intervention, utilizing Knowledge Base Guidelines to drive the appropriate behaviour Examples of barriers and challenges faced by organizations in meeting the HTI-1 mandate and potential strategies Overlaps between HTI-1 compliance rules and previous iterations on information blocking A Little About Wayne: Wayne Singer is the Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Darena Solutions. He is an accomplished executive with over 30 years of experience in the healthcare field. He is an HTI-1 and QPP/MACRA/MIPS Subject Matter Expert and is well-positioned to assist the healthcare industry as it transitions to Value-based Care. Wayne has successfully assisted hundreds of EHRs in developing and achieving certification strategies. He is a lifelong University of Michigan sports fan. When he is not immersed in healthcare standards, he loves spending time with his grandchildren.

In this exclusive interview, Sandy discusses cutting-edge advancements in healthcare interoperability with Joe Warbington, the Healthcare Industry Principal at Snowflake. Following a previous conversation with Todd Crosslin, another industry expert from Snowflake, Sandy delves deeper into how Snowflake's innovative platform is revolutionizing data sharing in healthcare. By eliminating the need for data replication, Snowflake accelerates the process of sharing medical records and patient information, leading to quicker results and more accurate diagnoses.  Joe shares his insights on Snowflake's pivotal role in propelling healthcare forward, emphasizing the promising future awaiting the industry through continued innovation and collaboration. Learn more here : https://www.snowflake.com/en/solutions/industries/healthcare-and-life-sciences/  In this episode, they talk about: The latest updates about Snowflake and how they help their customers and clients How other industries use and share data, and how that compares to the healthcare industry Use case examples involving clinicians sharing medical records What’s next for health interoperability innovation Advice for organizations just getting started in making sure they have the right interoperability infrastructure A Little About Joe: Joe Warbington, is a Healthcare Industry Principal at Snowflake, where he spearheads strategy and solutions for the Healthcare vertical, facilitating secure and efficient data access, analysis, and sharing across the AI Data Cloud for Healthcare & Life Sciences. Before his role at Snowflake, he served as VP of Industry Solutions at Astrato Analytics and Vizlib, Industry Solutions Principal at Qlik Healthcare, and worked as a team lead for the Cogito analytics suite at Epic for several years. Joe is deeply committed to leveraging technology and solutions to combat clinician burnout. In his spare time, he volunteers with Sharp Index, a nonprofit focused on reducing physician burnout and suicide rates while enhancing the mental well-being of physicians, nurses, and clinicians.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Kelly Sager, the VP & GM, CDS Solutions Business Unit, at Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, a Danaher OpCo. Kelly is building and leading a team to deliver artificial intelligence, machine-learning solutions, and clinical decision support to emergency department clinicians.  There has been a pivot in recent years, to an at-market environment and the symbiotic relationship that it creates between health systems and the industry by providing best-of-breed solutions. They talk about how Kelly and her team have made digital AI tools that seamlessly integrate into clinician workflows. These tools will have been and will continue to revolutionize patient care.  In this episode, they talk about: How Beckman Coulter Diagnostics' digital AI tools integrate into clinician workflows. How SMART on FHIR enables an integration with major electronic health records by using HL7 FHIR to pull information Why data sharing enabled through the 21st Century Cures Act has allowed clinical processes like Emergency Department triage to evolve Beckman Coulter’s current and upcoming offerings for provider organizations The potential of generative AI in revolutionizing the healthcare industry, and the importance of thorough vetting despite the absence of standardized "guardrails" A Little About Kelly: Kelly Sager is a technology business leader with over 20 years' experience developing and commercializing healthcare IT solutions, including a decade as an intrapreneur establishing and leading high-tech startups at GE, Becton Dickinson, and Danaher.  Kelly specializes in launching and scaling innovative new technologies, with expertise in AI/ML, software as a medical device, EHR-integration, software engineering, new product development, and commercial strategy.   Kelly currently serves as Vice President and General Manager of the Clinical Decision Support Solutions business unit at Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, a Danaher operating company. At Danaher, Kelly spearheaded the acquisition of research-backed predictive AI solutions and led Beckman Coulter’s expansion into AI-enabled diagnostic and prognostic solutions. She is leading a team dedicated to helping healthcare providers leverage AI to improve productivity, care quality, and healthcare equity.   Kelly holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA in Marketing Management from Northwestern University.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance welcomes Alexa Cushman, MuleSoft‘s Global Product Industry Marketing Director for Healthcare and Life Sciences. Alexa brings with her Jay Jenkins, Barry Box, and Dr. Adam Resnick from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to talk about how CHOP has implemented MuleSoft and Salesforce into their dynamic.  They also discuss the importance of the progress in health tech, AI, and how these advances will change the interoperability landscape. CHOP’s team is enthusiastic about the innovation happening in the industry.  In this episode, they talk about: How the team at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has been utilizing MuleSoft and Salesforce to break down silos of data What MuleSoft is doing with APIs and how that is leading to seamless organization  The many use cases that make CHOP’s health system more efficient and effective. How they have been able to deliver APIs more effectively with MuleSoft CHOP aims to create multimodal, multi-omic data on behalf of decision support which helps professionals visualize precise personalized care and enable data sharing across medical organizations at a global scale How the MuleSoft product has enabled CHOP to do the external data sharing needed to provide accurate information to the professionals who need it How enabling technology also allows for human interoperability The road map for Salesforce and Mulesoft A Little About Today’s Guests: Alexa Cushman is the Global Product Industry Marketing Director for Healthcare and Life Sciences at MuleSoft. She has made a career of helping organizations improve outcomes through technology and received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She has developed innovative hardware and software solutions, and led high-profile, enterprise-wide, and complex projects, turning business needs into technical solutions. Jay Jenkins has over 35 years of technical experience, including over 30 years in technology management. His technical and management experience spans data integration, systems integration, software development, and networking systems.  Barry Box, an enterprise architect specializing in healthcare data integration, has a rich educational background with degrees from Baylor University, Texas A&M University, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. His experience spans two decades, during which he has designed secure data-sharing systems for major organizations including the Department of Veterans Affairs and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Before his current role as a Data Integration Architect at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Barry facilitated successful Salesforce and MuleSoft implementations at Texas Health Resources. At CHOP, he aims to drastically reduce data compilation time for Child Brain Cancer Precision Medicine research. Dr. Adam Resnick is the Center for Data-Driven Discovery Director in Biomedicine. He is driving many efforts around data sharing to enhance healthcare and outcomes. If listeners would like to get a hold of them, they can reach Alexa at [email protected], Jay Jenkins at [email protected], and they can find more information and resources at d3b.center. 

Introduction:  In this episode, host Sandy Vance has two special guests: Paul Wilder from the CommonWell Alliance and Maylee Wu from ELLKAY. Paul has joined us before in an episode titled “CommonWell Health Alliance Powered by ELLKAY”. After the big announcement that CommonWell would now be powered by ELLKAY, there have been many positive changes and movements in the right direction for smooth interoperability. Paul and Maylee are here to update us on some of what’s going on behind the scenes. They also discuss individual access and why there seems to be so many differing opinions about it.  In this episode, they talk about: An update on the CommonWell / ELLKAY TEFCA journey How they were able to achieve QHIN designation in only six months What it’s like to work with CommonWell’s established services Why Paul says Individual access to health records should be as easy as getting your credit report.  A Little About Paul and Maylee: With over two decades in health IT, Paul has held various roles focusing on imaging, clinical informatics, and interoperability. As Executive Director of CommonWell Health Alliance, he runs the not-for-profit trade association that promotes interoperability nationwide. Before joining CommonWell, Paul was Vice President of Strategy & Business Development for Philips Interoperability Solutions. He also spent 10 years with one of the largest regional HIE networks in the world, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC)—serving as its Chief Information Officer, Vice President of Product Management, and Program Director for NYeC’s Regional Extension Center. Prior to joining NYeC, Paul worked in health care with a focus on information technologies at McKesson, Fujifilm Medical Systems, and GE Healthcare. Paul received his MBA from New York University and holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania—in Economics and Biomedical Science. Maylee has over 10 years of experience in healthcare IT and currently leads the product team of ELLKAY's interoperability platform solution, LKOpera. Before ELLKAY, she worked at Epic as well as startups in the precision medicine, patient management, and interoperability space. She's passionate about improving and advancing healthcare interoperability and making data accessible and usable for the right people at the right time.”

Everyone in the health care industry wants the patient experience to get better without the friction we have today. Will technology in the future be able to power frictionless patient, provider and payer experiences?  If EY Nexus for Health and their Head of Growth, Dan Galdenzi, have any say in it, it will. They are making strides in health care interoperability and tech platforms that are available to help change the business of health care forever through effective and fast data sharing.  If you want to reach out to Dan, feel free to email him or find him on LinkedIn.  In this episode, Dan talks with host Sandy Vance about: The space that EY Nexus fills in health care as a data-ingestion platform The long history of tension and mistrust between payers and providers Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) as part of the compliance puzzle Removing frustrations for the payer and provider community Market demand and impact of having end-to-end interoperability in the health care industry Use case success story: EY US as a third-party intermediary between a regional health system and a regional payer A little about Dan: Dan Galdenzi is the Head of Growth – EY Nexus for Health, and he is responsible for evangelizing EY Nexus for Health in the payer and provider industries to grow organically, through alliances and new business, in the Americas and globally. He previously was a global executive vice president for an InsurTech software company and the chief information officer for a major health care insurer.

Host Sandy Vance welcomes Kasey McCreery, the Director of Clinical Documentation at Phreesia, to talk about race and ethnicity data and how unintentional bias placed into our questions at the bedside can impact data that is important for provider decision making.  Interoperability is one of the key components of efficient and high-quality patient care. Kasey is a nurse and NP who is on a mission to help healthcare organizations collect accurate data without bias by standardizing the process used to collect it. If you have any questions about Phreesia and/or want to help improve race and ethnicity data collection, you can email Kasey. In this episode, they talk about: Why interoperability is important to Kasey and nurses everywhere How systems and processes which use the same questions and definitions can be the path to non-biased care for patients everywhere How Phreesia helps healthcare organizations collect better patient data Why Phreesia’s studies place importance on approachable UI, appropriate translations, and standards for all patients.    A Little About Kasey: Kasey McCreery, NP-C, MSHI, is the Director of Clinical Documentation at Phreesia. She is a nurse practitioner and has a master's in nursing with a specialty in healthcare informatics. Kasey worked as a nurse for nine years at a health system in Indianapolis, where her experiences caring for patients helped her develop a passion to improve healthcare IT for all users. She was a founding member and leader of the Nursing Informatics Council and has experience leading innovative informatics teams to place patients at the center of health IT. Kasey expanded her informatics knowledge at Clinical Architecture for five years and enjoys working with standard terminology to solve complex problems. 

In today’s episode, host Sandy Vance gets the privilege of chatting with MRO’s brilliant Chief Interoperability Officer Anthony Murray. Anthony knows all about the significance of speeding up clinical data exchange. He talks about the necessity, importance, and various strategies needed to achieve MRO’s goal of helping providers and payer networks share information in a quick, effective way.  Sandy and Anthony also talk about how the business of health information exchange is changing across the industry. Sometimes it feels like this evolution is happening quickly, but too often it feels as though it’s moving at a snail’s pace in the hurried and chaotic world of healthcare. Even though this road toward internal and external interoperability might be a bumpy one, things are looking bright. Sandy and Anthony’s excitement and passion are palpable as they talk about the strides that MRO is making and the future of data exchange. In February, Sandy got to chat with MRO Corporation’s Chief Product Officer Mo Weitnauer in an episode titled, “MRO’s Dedication to Interoperability Meets CareFirst for Healthcare Interoperability.” It is a wonderfully insightful episode and we suggest you check it out (wink wink, nudge nudge).   In this episode, they talk about: How MRO uses its clinical data exchange platform to create a productive information exchange ecosystem The demand on healthcare providers and fighting against legacy systems that stall information How the standards help organizations share digital information meaningfully, and what those standards need to be constructive Using AI thoughtfully to avoid sensitivity concerns and to achieve better quality measures, reporting, and assurance The status of TEFCA and how it affects the work that MRO is doing A Little About Anthony: As Chief Interoperability Officer, Anthony Murray oversees MRO’s strategic initiatives related to accelerating clinical data exchange. In addition to overseeing the clinical data exchange team, Anthony also is responsible for the interoperability, systems integrations, and security teams, to utilize advanced technologies to deliver secure, meaningful information exchange. Anthony, as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), partners closely with MRO’s privacy, compliance, and innovation thought leaders to assess all areas of the clinical data exchange and to provide value through modern, secure technologies. Anthony has over 20 years of experience in technology and security supporting the healthcare industry vertical, including the release of information, clinical manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with guest Matthew Cunningham, the EVP of Product at Availity. Matthew runs the end-to-end authorization product and strategy for Availity. He has a wealth of information about the industry and happily shares that info with Sandy and InteropNow’s loyal listeners. Together, they discuss what Availity has been up to and what they’re doing for the healthcare IT industry. They also talk about how specific use cases can help solve the challenges around interoperability.  For a while, it’s been a major issue that electronic prior authorizations haven’t been streamlined for payer organizations. That’s exactly why now is the time to leverage the new technology available to solve this problem. Matthew talks about how Availity is working to ease that tension in this space. He also emphasizes why it is collaboration between companies that will lead us on the path to success. In this episode, they talk about: Why it is such a big deal in healthcare, to make sure that electronic prior authorizations work for payer organizations The various challenges that payers and providers have had to deal with How standards will help automate the process, which–in turn–will reduce friction when it comes to reaching clinical records and asking specific questions How AI is solving the dialogue problem AI can read a clinical document much quicker than a human can To work, AI needs to be able to read structured and unstructured information and be able to extrapolate clinical concepts. But how long will it take before AI can understand clinical concepts? Applying AI where the use case makes sense to be transparent Your ROI when using Availity to put all the necessary components under one umbrella Measuring success based on automation vs adoption A Little About Matthew: Matthew Cunningham brings a unique background with nine years of military service, including command roles during the Iraq invasion and subsequent counterinsurgency operations. Transitioning to healthcare, he has spent over 15 years addressing the challenges in prior authorizations and utilization management. With a diverse career, Matthew played pivotal roles in scaling a services company from $20M to the largest healthcare benefit services firm, serving in capacities such as Head of Call Center Operations, Director of Product Operations, CIO, and leading integration for mergers and acquisitions. In his latest role, he drives innovation efforts automating prior authorization workflows for payers, providers, and patients.  If you want to know more about Availity, check out their website. To hear more about what Availity has been up to and what they’re all about, check out these episodes of InteropNow! “Availity’s Innovation Guru, Sam Schifman, on AI and Human Behavior Change for Better Health” “Upcycling Data for a More Wellness Focused Health System with Dr. Paulo Pinho, M.D, Vice President and Medical Director of Innovation for Availity Clinical Solutions”

Today host Sandy Vance and Will Tesch explore how curating wine and health information data exchange has a lot of similarities. He emphasizes the care needed in both the making of wine and the curating of data.  As the founder and CEO of HealthLX, Will has some valuable information to share about the partnership between HealthLX and SMILE, and what that will mean for healthcare payers and providers. Listen in as Will soothes your spirit with his soulful voice and shares his passion and knowledge about the health IT industry. Not only does he share valuable information on how data is stored today, but he also shares a few of the barriers that keep data from getting to where it needs.  If you have some questions or need a little guidance in navigating the changes in regulations, reach out to Will and the HealthLX team by emailing them at [email protected].  In this episode, they talk about: How wine and the health IT industry can be both simple, different, and compelling Wine making and interoperability being similar in that we need to handle the variables involved in these complex processes HealthLX’s vital role in helping FHIR implementation move forward Encapsulating business logic to be reused is important to be able to scale and solve the data-exchange problems in health care. The challenges that provider organizations run into when getting data into the FHIR format, and exposing data The exciting partnership between HealthLX and SMILE How Will and his team will help healthcare payers and providers as regulations change A Little About Will: Will Tesch is an accomplished leader whose career in information technology innovation spans more than 30 years across healthcare, supply chain, manufacturing, and more. He is currently the founder and CEO of HealthLX, bringing composable automation solutions that solve data exchange and healthcare interoperability for payers, providers, and HIT vendors.

Today Sandy Vance chats with Erin Prymas from Smile Digital Health, a company that specializes in delivering compliant data infrastructure as a service to create interconnectivity in healthcare. As the CRO of Smile, Erin shares what makes them stand out in the world of healthcare data technology. They are paving the way for connectivity between systems, patients, payers and healthcare providers.  Erin talks about Smile’s vision to help providers better care for their patients with less friction because the gaps in data impact the health outcomes of people across the globe. Minutes matter when it comes to making sure everyone gets the information they need to make important healthcare decisions.  In this episode, they talk about: Smile’s mission: Better Global Health Smile’s use of their platform to help people manage their data so they (and the healthcare providers they work with) can improve their care Why prior authorization requirements are so important and how Smile is advancing the standard and practical use of new implementation guides  Automated versus manual prior authorization: cost, burden, and the mandatory adoption in 2026 How and why the Smile platform works alongside and supports QHINs to support TEFCA A Little About Erin: Erin Prymas is CRO and Senior VP for Smile Digital Health. Erin has over 20 years of experience in sales leadership, go-to-market strategy, healthcare technology operations and novel healthcare delivery systems. She has built, scaled and led multiple teams that solve customer requirements and accelerate revenue growth. As Smile's CRO, Erin is the master of operations, balancing rigor and experimentation to drive excellence. Her wealth of experience and leadership acumen make her an instrumental force in steering Smile towards operational excellence and continued success in the dynamic landscape of healthcare and technology. Erin spends her summers outdoors and winters with a book by the fire.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Timothy Bennett about what Drummond Group has been up to since she talked with John Valutkevich about their certification program. Tim is a technical visionary and the director of strategic healthcare initiatives at Drummond Group LLC. Today he shares his passion and enthusiasm with the podcast. Sandy and Tim do a deep dive into the importance of testing in compliance and who would benefit from real world testing. Drummond has been working hard to develop programs that will make interoperability easier for the health industry. After years of development, they are excited to move on to the next stage (launching a pilot program in April) in order to achieve true interoperability. The Drummond Group focuses on promoting and adopting standards in the health and commerce fields to improve the outcomes for everybody involved. They want to help the consumers of healthcare receive better care by enabling healthcare providers and payers to meet federal guidelines in the delivery of care. Drummond and their team know that honesty, integrity, and trust are important for interoperability. Because of that, they are dedicated to being transparent, forward-thinking, and conscientious.  In this episode, they talk about: Why interoperability testing and the ability to prove compliance is important What is full matrix interoperability? Who will benefit the most from these types of interoperability tests and what does it mean to take the payer-to-payer test exchange to the next level Who Drummond believes the first organizations for testing should be What’s next for Drummond? A Little About Tim: Timothy Bennett has had nearly 20 years working for Drummond Group, going from a program manager to the Director of Strategic Healthcare Initiatives where he is responsible for developing IT certification and testing programs for the healthcare industry. He is known for having a history of designing and building software that is both effective and efficient for a wide range of different businesses.

Today Sandy Vance and Jason Barr, the vice president of healthcare for ID.me, talk about how ID.me is facilitating interoperability by creating digital identities for their consumers. Jason and ID.me are working to make the identity verification process much more streamlined to remove friction between patients and their health records. Jason talks about the various types of verification, from legacy to digital. He defines what digital identity is and explains how ID.me is helping to solve the problems that come with authentication through different platforms and programs. It is important that patients keep their identities safe and ID.me is showing that it does not have to come at the expense of their time. In this episode, they talk about: What is digital identity? The differences between physical and digital identity The problems with digital identity and verification How ID.me is solving the problem with single sign-on when many different platforms, programs, and systems are being used Examples of use cases for authentication in healthcare A Little About  Jason: Jason is the VP of Healthcare at ID.me, the market-leading digital identity and credentials network. Jason leads the Healthcare team at ID.me, focused on working with Health Systems, EHRs, Pharma, Payers and others looking to make interoperability a reality for patients and providers. He graduated from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business with an MBA in strategy and finance.

Everybody is talking about AI in Healthcare – but what can Interoperability do to make AI in Healthcare a reality? Do we have to throw out billions of dollars in legacy software to leverage the potential benefits of AI?  In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Joerg Schwarz, the Senior Director for Healthcare Interoperability Solutions and Strategy for Infor. They talk about FHIR Bridge; how it works, what it can do for you, and what problems it solves. They also go over more innovations that Infor has to offer. Interoperability in healthcare is particularly important in order to make workflow more efficient and for quicker and more accurate care for patients. AI could help with streamlining the interoperability process. In this episode, they talk about: The value of transitioning legacy infrastructure into more structured data How doctors can utilize these new systems FHIR Bridge and other innovations The AI is only as good as its data Funding and enabling this innovation The next step for Infor A Little About Joerg: Joerg Schwarz is currently Senior Director for Healthcare Interoperability Solutions and Strategy at Infor with over 25 years of experience in the Healthcare Industry and in the interoperability space specifically. Prior to Infor, Joerg worked as a Director at GE Healthcare and Agfa Healthcare, designing, and implementing solutions for medical image- and document- exchange as well as integrated care.  He also worked at boutique Healthcare firms such as NextGate (EMPI) and Audacious Inquiry (ADT Data Intermediary), and he built and directed a $500M Healthcare & Life Sciences Line of Business at the Fortune 500 company Sun Microsystems until it was acquired by Oracle.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Therasa Bell and Dr. Peter Schoch, MD. When they created Kno2, they went in with the vision of solving the mess that was connectivity and they wanted to solve that problem with a single API infrastructure. Because of that, they chose to look toward the “overlooked markets.” Since they started, Kno2 has made a lot of great strides toward those goals.  Today, Sandy, Therasa, and Peter talk about how Kno2 helps with communication connectivity and how they are trying to meaningfully change the industry. What does that mean? What will happen to the field and technology involving interoperability in the next five years? How will AI help in these efforts? All of these questions and more are answered in this episode. In this episode, they talk about: How interoperability solves healthcare’s biggest problems How Kno2 is meaningfully changing the industry  A forgotten element: meaningful communication The primary problem that they are solving Why connectivity is important in the healthcare system The advancement of capabilities in the next five years The greatest challenges for the QHINs TEFCA implementation and becoming a QHIN The strategic advantage and value that Kno2 can offer by having started with the edge systems How AI will help optimize the exchange of information A Little About Therasa: As Co-Founder, President, and Chief Technology Officer, Therasa defines the business vision for Kno2 and paves a clear path of execution for the staff. She is responsible for Kno2’s innovation, vision and engineering, and holds two patents for unstructured clinical content under the company. She believes that the combination of people and the company’s clear purpose makes Kno2 unstoppable. For close to a decade, Therasa has been a thought leader in the healthcare information technology field, serving as a co-chair or member of healthcare IT standards committees that influence national and international standards for sharing clinical information. In 2009, she defined and pushed through a healthcare IT protocol for unstructured clinical content, which passed as part of legislation for the Meaningful Use Stage 2 section of the HITECH Act. A Little About Peter: Dr. Peter Schoch, is a board-certified internist and accomplished physician executive whose passion and life’s work is to drive value to those who consume, provide and purchase healthcare. Through his service of 20 years in clinical practice as an Internal Medicine physician and the better part of the last two decades serving as a physician executive leading 2 major health systems through transformational change in care delivery, practice transformation, network development, and home-based services, he has driven impact through improved clinical, financial and consumer outcomes.  As the Chief Health Officer at Kno2 he is leveraging his experience in healthcare as both a provider and executive to transform Kno2 from an excellent technology company into a meaningful technology company focused on the application of their patented communications API to drive impact in healthcare.