eHealth Exchange 2026 Annual Meeting To Spotlight Trust, AI, Future of Nationwide Interoperability

Federal Health IT Leaders Sam Kaardal and Amy Gleason Anchor Program Exploring TEFCA, FHIR, Data Quality, Public Health and Payer-Provider Collaboration

VIENNA, Va., Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- eHealth Exchange™, one of the nation’s oldest and largest health information networks, today announces its 2026 annual meeting agenda. The meeting will convene Oct. 27 at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa near Austin, TX.

Doug Dietzman, eHealth Exchange’s new president and executive director, will serve as master of ceremonies for the meeting and open the program with a state of the network update. Dietzman will reflect on the network’s progress, share priorities for the year ahead and guide attendees through a day of candid discussions, practical insights and collaboration.

This year's morning keynote, Sam Kaardal, deputy national coordinator for health IT at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, will examine the current state and future of nationwide health information exchange—including progress through the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA™), evolving federal health IT priorities and what it will take to keep pushing interoperability forward.

The afternoon keynote, Amy Gleason, acting administrator of the U.S. DOGE Service and deputy administrator and chief product officer for the Office of Health Technology and Products (OHTP) at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), will highlight progress on the Health Tech Ecosystem initiative and share OHTP’s vision and priorities as the industry works to reduce administrative burden and build a more connected, patient-centered healthcare system.

Featured Sessions

Beyond Connectivity: Can Healthcare Trust the Network?--Leaders representing national governance, provider organizations, regional health information exchanges (HIEs) and eHealth Exchange will explore how transparency, accountability, privacy, security and data quality can build confidence as TEFCA expands and organizations prepare for CMS-0057-F requirements.

Federal Connections, National Impact--Representatives from the Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Food and Drug Administration will discuss recent accomplishments, emerging priorities, lessons learned and opportunities for greater connectivity and collaboration with  the private sector. Jolie Ritzo, CEO of Civitas Networks for Health, will moderate.

Dr. Bot and Treatment--A candid panel will examine the tensions that emerge as large language models meet health information exchange, including whether and how artificial intelligence (AI) can support treatment, what new risks arise and how AI-enabled care may affect patient access and network policy.

What Does “Quality” Mean in Health Data Exchange?--Industry leaders will consider how healthcare defines, measures, tests and improves data quality as exchanged information increasingly supports clinical decisions, payer-provider workflows, analytics and generative AI.

FHIR in the Wild: Real-World Use Cases in Action--eHealth Exchange participants will share how they are using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources® (FHIR®) today, the workflows and business needs that are driving adoption, and the lessons they have learned along the way.

Payers at the Table: Collaboration Under CMS-0057-F--Payer, provider and technology leaders will discuss multi-payer collaboration, FHIR-based workflows and how to leverage a national network to scale connectivity and exchange, moving beyond compliance to reduce burden and improve care coordination.

Public Health Data Exchange--Sessions will explore how federal agencies, HIEs and the Association of Public Health Laboratories are using FHIR and shared national infrastructure to reduce reporting silos, support surveillance and improve public health data exchange.

Additional discussions will explore patient access pathways, operational data exchange beyond treatment, including current and emerging exchange FHIR-based services.

Recharging the Connection

Healthcare transformation demands resilience. The pressure on caregivers, technologists, policymakers and innovators is real, and so is the risk of burnout. Building the infrastructure that enables better, more informed care takes focus, persistence and sustained commitment.

The event’s “Recharging the Connection” theme is about strengthening what already powers this work—the industry’s shared purpose, trusted partnerships and the secure data exchange that supports better care nationwide—while creating space for the people behind the work to recharge, reconnect and continue advancing trusted interoperability across the country.

eHealth Exchange extends its appreciation to InterSystems® for sponsoring the networking reception and helping create an opportunity for attendees to build relationships, exchange ideas and recharge together.

Join Us Near Austin
To view the full agenda and register, visit https://ehealthexchange.org/2026-annual-meeting/.

About the eHealth Exchange
eHealth Exchange, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to public good, is the oldest and largest health information network in the country and is most well known as the principal way the federal government exchanges clinical data among federal agencies and with the private sector. Recognized for certified data quality, trusted governance, transparency, and its commitment to privacy, eHealth Exchange facilitates the secure exchange of patient records for more than 300 million patients and processes roughly 25 billion data exchanges annually. Vendor-agnostic, with a broad public health focus, eHealth Exchange provides connectivity for more than 30 electronic health record systems, 57 regional and state HIEs, 75 percent of U.S. hospitals and health systems, 90 percent of dialysis centers, 70,000 medical groups, and payers in 34 states – as well as countless urgent care centers, surgery centers, and clinical laboratories. Five federal agencies (Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, Indian Health Service, Food and Drug Administration, and Social Security Administration) participate in the network to share patient information with private-sector partners as well as other federal agencies. Active in all 50 states, eHealth Exchange connects to other national health information networks today via Carequality and now TEFCA as a Designated QHIN. See: https://ehealthexchange.org / @ehealthexchange.