The Civitas Networks for Health annual conference, scheduled for next week in Arlington, Va., will explore how health information exchanges (HIEs) are transforming into full utilities for public health, social services, and rural care. The event will feature the Civitas network, which comprises over 150 member organizations and partners, demonstrating how health data utilities (HDUs) and community information exchanges (CIEs) are developing into essential infrastructure. This evolution aligns with efforts to consolidate fragmented health and social data into practical insights for providers, policymakers, and communities.
The Civitas network has worked with the Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI) to establish HDUs as nonprofit entities governed by multiple stakeholders. These entities are designed to meet both public and private sector demands for data delivery and analytics. In 2023, CSRI introduced a Maturity Model for HDUs, followed by a Capability Model in the subsequent year. The latter outlines more than 160 specific functions that these utilities can perform, providing a structured approach to their development.
HIEs turn real-time data into public health action
New Mexico’s Syncronys HIE, supported by the state health department, will demonstrate how embedded data science enhances outbreak tracking, monitors rural access, and improves chronic disease prediction. This initiative shows how HIEs are shifting beyond simple record-sharing to tackle public health emergencies and reduce disparities. In Washington, D.C., the CRISP D.C. HDU offers another example by using real-time school absenteeism data integrated into clinical workflows. Care teams leverage these insights to identify at-risk students, connect them with health and social services, and enhance academic performance through coordinated support.
A dedicated session will examine how HDUs can support key priorities such as care coordination, quality improvement, and policy-driven decision-making. Using CSRI’s Capability Model as a guide, Civitas will avoid imposing strict standards while promoting standardization through a learning community. This initiative will involve 25 HIEs interested in capability assessments, ensuring evaluations remain adaptable to local needs.
The conference will also highlight community information exchanges (CIEs), which connect clinical and social services. For instance, 211 San Diego has pioneered this approach, and similar programs now operate in Washington state, Chicago, and Michigan. These exchanges help address housing instability by integrating healthcare, housing, and social care systems. Another session will discuss FHIR-based integrations between HIEs and nutrition programs, facilitating enrollment workflows and data collection for medically tailored meal interventions. Challenges in creating shared consent governance frameworks will also be addressed, as stakeholders balance data accessibility with privacy safeguards.
Rural care and crisis response rely on HIE networks
Rural health transformation will be a key focus, with Iowa showcasing how HIEs collaborate with EMS agencies to provide real-time updates on hospital and behavioral health bed availability. This system improves patient routing in underserved areas. Civitas CEO Jolie Ritzo emphasized that this trend reflects a growing reliance on HIEs for state-level crisis care and provider assistance.
Value-based care and quality measurement will take center stage, featuring a keynote address by Abe Sutton, director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), and Theresa Dreyer, CEO of the Health Care Transformation Task Force. Their discussion will explore how CMMI is driving healthcare innovation, particularly through initiatives like the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) program.
Policy discussions will cover information blocking and how HIE infrastructure can support the CMS’s Interoperability and Prior Authorization Rule (CMS-0057-F). This rule aims to reduce administrative burdens by improving data sharing among providers, payers, and patients.
