Connxus Pledges to Help Build CMS Aligned Network, Continuing Its Long History of Advancing Nationwide Health Interoperability

The Nonprofit Texas Health Information Exchange (HIE) Joins Other Early Adopters in the Federal Government’s Vision to Empower Patients and Improve Health Outcomes

Connxus, a longtime nonprofit Texas Health Information Exchange (HIE), today pledged its commitment to building a better, smarter, more secure healthcare experience for patients by joining the White House’s new nationwide collaborative implementing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Interoperability Framework and becoming a CMS Aligned Network. 

With an advanced, secure data infrastructure already in place, Connxus has the ability to offer patients and providers real-time access to a complete picture of health information while also protecting patient privacy. Aligning with the national framework for health data provides Connxus partners a streamlined entrance into the CMS national network and empowers more patients with a next-generation personalized healthcare experience. 

“We share CMS’s vision of leveraging innovative, equitable, and patient-centered technology to transform care delivery, reduce burden, and improve health outcomes for all,” said Connxus CEO Eliel Oliveira. “Our organization is committed to advancing solutions that promote interoperability, streamline data exchange, enhance accessibility, and foster trust in digital health tools.”

The White House recently unveiled the new voluntary strategy to modernize data sharing across the nation, calling on healthcare and technology companies to partner with the federal government in supporting real-time access to complete and secure health information, while protecting patient privacy and following existing standards and regulations. In joining the federal government’s plan, Connxus commits to help “kill the clipboard” with seamless digital check-in methods and secure data sharing by taking these actions:

• Collaborating with CMS, industry leaders, and stakeholders to accelerate responsible health technology adoption.
• Sharing best practices and lessons learned to inform scalable, high-impact solutions.
• Upholding the principles of equity, security, and transparency in every aspect of our work.

Connxus Offers Decades of Health Informatics Expertise in Support of National Goals

Connxus has been dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and sharing health information to improve community care quality and cost for more than 20 years. Oliveira is a national leader in health information technology, appointed to serve on the Health IT Advisory Committee (HITAC). This group of experts from across the country seeks to advance the electronic access, exchange, and use of health information, advising the United States Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Congress on health data standards development and policy. 

Oliveira and other HIE leaders have provided CMS with information about their existing groundwork towards national interoperability, and the group plans to offer more guidance as the new network forms. He strongly believes technology holds the promise to improve care, reduce disparities, and empower patients and providers. He envisions a day when patients everywhere in the nation can log in to a single app or ecosystem to access appointment scheduling, lab results, prior authorizations from health plans, and more.  

“We can do almost everything on our phones today like make financial investments or apply to college, but we still cannot manage all of our health care,” said Oliveira. “Connxus is already integrated with major electronic health records to create a single longitudinal patient record, and we can support the effort to build this patient experience nationwide.”

About Connxus

Connxus is the Central Texas nonprofit health information exchange, creating the secure data infrastructure, tools, and platforms that improve community health. Originally formed by an alliance of local safety net providers in 1997 as the Integrated Care Collaboration, Connxus now has partners across eight Central Texas counties and continues to add and enhance medical and social data to streamline provider care and identify innovative solutions to population health challenges. Connxus holds itself to the highest security standards in the healthcare industry, using technology and data infrastructure with HITRUST and TX-RAMP security certifications. Learn more at connxus.org.