As we close out the first quarter, we want to reflect on the collective progress toward our 2025 Priorities. The Carequality community remains committed to policy and technical changes to enhance trust within our framework and also align with the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA™) where appropriate. Our priorities are set through the guidance of trusted subject matter experts with relevant experience in the health care sector who comprise the Carequality Steering Committee and Board of Directors, with guidance from the Advisory Council. We have also formed an Advisory Council Policy Workgroup composed of volunteers to help accelerate our policy development.
Progress on Priorities
We’re thrilled to share that we have taken steps to make it easier for organizations to participate in both the Carequality and TEFCA frameworks. The Carequality Steering Committee unanimously approved a new Delegation of Authority policy on April 10th. This policy will replace the “On Behalf Of” approach currently used, with specific implementation deadlines, appropriately aligning Carequality with TEFCA’s approach. The policy is expected to be effective on May 12th, following the Objection Period and Change Management Process happening now. The Advisory Council Policy Workgroup played a key role and engaged in extensive, robust discussions to ensure the policy works for Implementers and Connections. We owe them great thanks!
Join the April 24th Carequality Public Informational Call to learn more about this important policy change.
We also continue to make progress on the other priorities that will further bolster trust in our community. Carequality started a manual review of directory entrants in February. The results will inform two strategic priorities: directory improvements and vetting of Carequality connected organizations. The Advisory Council Policy Workgroup will turn next to clarifying when Treatment queries require a response. So, stay tuned to this space!
Reorganizing and Rightsizing to Achieve More
To accelerate progress and achieve these ambitious goals, we’re making a few strategic staffing changes. These changes ensure Carequality’s staff can accommodate the tremendous growth we have experienced and also ensure that we are poised to navigate our future, including accelerating work on our 2025 priorities. We are reorganizing and rightsizing to support the framework enhancements requested by the community.
Seth Selkow, Interim Executive Director and Carequality Board of Directors Chairman
Seth Selkow, chairman of the Carequality board of directors, will step in as interim executive director to provide strategic business guidance. This will free Alan Swenson to focus on leading the technical, operational, and directory improvements we are pursuing.
As chairman of Carequality’s Board and a former Carequality Connection, Seth has deep roots in the Carequality community. His ability to provide strategic guidance will depend on engaging stakeholders at the Implementer and Connection level, so please reach out to schedule a chat about your framework experience and vision for the future of interoperability.
We are also creating new roles, including an account manager and a business analyst to augment the team’s capacity. These changes will enhance our ability to manage relationships with our community and support an expanded set of activities. By centralizing this work, we are freeing up Chris Dickerson to focus on advancing policy development, and Bill Mehegan to pursue security and technical initiatives.
We look forward to continuing to share our progress toward implementing our 2025 goals in the months ahead.