ONC Endorses DirectTrust Accreditation Program for HISPs, CAs, and RAs

ONC Endorses DirectTrust Accreditation, Releases Guidelines

The ONC encourages HISPs to get accredited by DirectTrust and add their anchor certificates to its trust bundle to ensure the providers using their services are able to exchange information across vendor and organizational boundaries.

Direct Exchange: Going Global?

Secure messaging based on the Direct Protocol may eventually be applied globally because of international interest in health information exchange, some backers say.

View the press release here.

Accreditation for HIEs: EHNAC’s Executive Director Explains the Whys and Wherefores

Earlier this spring, the Farmington, Conn.-based Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a federally recognized standards development organization and non-profit accrediting body founded in 1993, announced a new agreement with the federal government, in which DirectTrust, a non-profit association created by and for participants in the Direct community, had been awarded a cooperative agreement from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) for continued development and implementation of its accreditation program for health information service providers (HISPs) developed in partnership with EHNAC.

View the press release here

"What Does the Direct Protocol Mean & How Does It Impact Meaningful Use Stage 2 Implementation?"

Screencast Available from Webinar on 5/30

Medent Adopts Surescripts' Direct Messaging For Enhanced Clinical Interoperability

MEDENT, a recognized leader in the healthcare practice management automation market, has added Surescripts' Basic Messaging and Communications product to its suite of services available to more than 7,000 healthcare providers currently using MEDENT's Meaningful Use-certified, all-in-one electronic health record (EHR), patient portal and practice management system.  Surescripts Basic Messaging and Communications is a subscription service that allows patient-specific protected health information to be instantaneously and securely transmitted between healthcare providers, leading to increased efficiency, informed care decisions, better patient outcomes, and lower healthcare costs.

View the press release here.

Pete Palmer joins MedAllies as chief security officer

Pete Palmer, CISSP, has joined MedAllies as chief security officer. He will be responsible for the oversight and ongoing management of MedAllies' information security program, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.

Read more here.

MRO Corp. Announces Status as Direct Project Health Information Service Provider (HISP)

MRO Corp, a leading provider of technology-driven disclosure management services and applications for healthcare organizations, today announced that it has become a Health Information Service Provider (HISP), enabling the company to offer provider-branded Direct Project domain mailboxes, email addresses and direct secure messaging (DSM) capabilities to healthcare providers.

Read the full article here.

SureScripts Achieves DirectTrust Accreditation

Surescripts, the nation's largest health information network, has received full accreditation from the Direct Trusted Agent Accreditation Program (DTAAP), an accreditation program for health information service providers (HISPs). DTAAP is offered on a voluntary basis by DirectTrust, an independent non-profit association dedicated to securing the exchange of health information between providers and patients.

Read the full article here.

New DirectTrust.org chair delves into HIE security and access

Last week, MedAllies CEO John Blair, MD, was elected chair of DirectTrust.org, which concentrates on secure health information exchange (HIE) between providers and patients. DirectTrust’s direction going forward is of great interest in the healthcare industry because of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) recent announcementthat it awarded DirectTrust.org (along with the EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup) an Exemplar HIE Government Program Cooperative Agreement.

MaxMD Achieves DirectTrust.org/EHNAC Accreditation

Direct Trusted Agent accreditation ensures adherence to data processing standards and compliance with security infrastructure, integrity and trusted identity requirements

By MaxMD

Published: Thursday, May. 23, 2013 - 5:11 am

FT. LEE, N.J., May 23, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ -- MaxMD, a secure information technology company, announced today it has achieved full accreditation with the Direct Trusted Agent Accreditation Program (DTAAP) for HISP, CA and RA from DirectTrust.org and the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC). Direct Trusted Agent accreditation recognizes excellence in health data processing and transactions, and ensures compliance with industry-established standards, HIPAA regulations and the Direct Project.

ICA Achieves DirectTrust.org/EHNAC Accreditation

Direct Trusted Agent accreditation ensures adherence to data processing standards and compliance with security infrastructure, integrity and trusted identity requirements

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 21, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- ICA, a leading provider of interoperability technology that enables care coordination and health information exchange (HIE), announced today it has achieved full accreditation with the Direct Trusted Agent Accreditation Program (DTAAP) for Registration Authority (RA), Certificate Authority (CA)and Health Information Service Provider (HISP) from DirectTrust.org and the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC). Direct Trusted Agent accreditation recognizes excellence in health data processing and transactions, and ensures compliance with industry-established standards, HIPAA regulations and the Direct Project.

ONC Webinar Reveals Details of Data Exchange Projects

In a webinar hosted by the National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) last week, the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT (ONC) revealed some details about the interoperability work it recently delegated to two outside entities, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) and DirectTrust, the first two recipients of grants under ONC's Exemplar HIE Governance Program.

EHNAC to Host Industry Forum on Direct Protocol

Free webinar to feature panel discussion exploring the Impact and Connection to Meaningful Use Stage 2 Implementation

THURSDAY May 30, 2013 1:00 - 2:30PM EST

During this session, industry panelists will provide an understanding of the value and implications of implementation of the Direct standard, as well as:

• Explore how organizations can assure HISP-to-HISP interoperability and scalable trust;
• Explain the significant differences between EHR technology software certification and security/trust accreditation of HISPs, CAs and RAs who partner with EHRs;
• Provide best practice examples of how to facilitate security, interoperability and trust among Direct exchange participants, fostering public confidence, and promoting the adoption and success of Directed exchange;
• Describe ways to reduce PHI exposure risks through the demonstration of comprehensive risk management programs; and
• Outline how to prepare your organization for implementation of secure communication in support of Meaningful Use requirements by the ONC.

THE SPEAKERS:

• David C. Kibbe MD MBA, President/CEO DirectTrust
• Andy Heeren, Director CERN Network IP, Cerner Corp.
• Don Jorgenson, CEO, Inpriva
• Ron Moser, Senior Auditor, EHNAC
• Claudia Williams, Director, State Health Information Exchange Program, ONC (invited)

The panel session will be followed by an open forum where all participants will be allowed to submit questions.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

C-level executives; compliance officers; state/federal agency leadership; regional extension centers; health information exchanges; health information service providers (HISPs); certificate authorities (CAs); registration authorities (RAs); and CIO/CTO and operations at healthcare organizations and payers.

REGISTER NOW or visit www.ehnac.org for more information.

DirectTrust trust framework basis of Michigan HIE partnership with Surescripts

The Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN) has entered into an agreement with Surescripts allowing users of Surescripts' Clinical Interoperability network to send electronic health information to the State of Michigan's public health reporting systems through MiHIN and the Michigan Department of Community Health.

MiHIN and Surescripts entered into an agreement based on the DirectTrust technical, legal, and business security and privacy standards for Healthcare Information Service Provider (HISP) connectivity.   Michigan is a leader in interstate health information exchange and has successfully established Direct HISP to HISP connectivity with several other states using ONC-approved Federally-bridged security certificates...

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ONC forges partnership for HIE standards

Rather than trying to create new information exchange governance standards, the Office of the National Coordinator is pursuing the goal of nationwide HIE interoperability and security via a cooperative agreement with Direct Trust and the EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup to build on current successes, while sorting out ongoing barriers.

HITECH: Meeting HIE Requirements

DirectTrust CEO Explains Secure Messaging Work

To meet the HITECH Act electronic health record incentive program's upcoming requirements for health information exchange, providers will need to use security best practices. David Kibbe, M.D., of DirectTrust, explains how his group is fostering those practices.

DirectTrust Selected for ONC Exemplar HIE Governance Program Award

DirectTrust will partner with the ONC to make advances in and further developments to the governance model for Directed exchange.

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MOU Between DirectTrust.org and the Kantara Initiative

A Memorandum of Understanding has been executed between DirectTrust.org and the Kantara Initiative.

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EHNAC to provide HISP accreditation program with DirectTrust.org

FARMINGTON, Conn. – November 13, 2012 – The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a non-profit standards development organization and accrediting body, will partner with DirectTrust.org to create a national accreditation program for...

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HIMSS 2013 Interoperability Showcase

ONC and FHA Area Call for Participants

Is your organization successfully using nationally recognized standards to securely share electronic health information with other organizations? Demonstrate your successes within the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and Federal Health Architecture (FHA) area in the HIMSS 2013 Interoperability Showcase!

March 3-7, 2013
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans, LA

ONC and FHA are looking to highlight cutting-edge interoperable health information exchange at HIMSS 2013, with a focus on ONC-related programs, including:

Nationwide Health Information Network CONNECT Direct Project State HIE Programs

SHARP/Innovation Program Standards & Interoperability Framework Beacon Communities

All nominated demonstrations must include interoperable health information exchange among at least three end user organizations. End users include healthcare organizations (hospitals, clinics, state or federal agencies, etc.) and health information exchanges, not health IT vendors or IT service providers. All demonstrations must be live. No canned demonstrations or static presentations will be considered. 

A panel of ONC and FHA staff will evaluate all nominations and determine which nominated demonstrations will be included within the ONC/FHA area of the Interoperability Showcase. Only nominations directly related to ONC programs will be considered. Nominations are due Friday, November 30 at 5:00 p.m., and the determination of who will be included will be made by December 7, 2012. 

Your nomination must include: a description of the proposed demonstration including a description of the link to an ONC/FHA initiative (maximum 200 words), the list of all organizations participating in the demonstration, and contact information for the group. 

There will be a cost for participating in this area of the Interoperability Showcase in line with the cost of participating in the Showcase at large. More details about these costs will be shared with the selected demonstrators in advance of your having to make a final commitment about participation.

Submit your nomination today!