Susan Clark, Senior Director of Program Development, DirectTrust
LinkedIn: Susan Clark
Clark on Connecting
In the Venn diagram of healthcare IT organizations, HIT nonprofits, and their workgroups, you’ll see many places where two, three, or more groups intersect.
That’s what Clonnections are all about, recognizing and amplifying those differences, those “a-ha” moments when the pieces fall in place perfectly to the betterment of interoperability and patient care. This Clonnection could lead to more uniform consent practices across healthcare.
I’m credentialed in health information management technology (HIM) and formerly supervised release of information activities, which included consent documentation and how patients signed them. I remain active in AHIMA and the Indiana chapter, IHIMA, where I can keep tabs on current practices and challenges. Stick with me here as I introduce some people who will weave together.
A former colleague and good friend from those days is Laura Nixon, who’s currently vice president of interoperability solutions at Clinical Architecture. Years ago, she told me about Shift, the Independent Health Care Task Force for Equitable Interoperability. This organization deals with consent issues and how individuals can authorize what they want shared. Shift’s co-founder and leader is Dr. Hannah Galvin, who’s also chief health information officer at Cambridge Health Alliance.
You should also know that Lisa Nelson recently joined DirectTrust as chief technology officer. She is, in a word, awesome.
Right before HIMSS, I was talking with Vince Albanese, a veteran technologist who serves DirectTrust as board treasurer and chair of our Innovation Priorities Workgroup. This particular workgroup grows their awareness around a topic, then comes up with innovative ways of how DirectTrust could play a part in solving any issues around that topic to facilitate the secure flow of information among healthcare partners.
The workgroup has become interested in consent issues, and Vince mentioned that, in a conversation with Lisa, Hannah Galvin’s name had come up as someone who should be invited to the workgroup. “Hey, I know Hannah,” I replied, “and she’d be an excellent resource.”
I also know Kelly Hoover Thompson, the former CEO at SHIEC (Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative), the predecessor organization to Civitas Networks for Health. She contacted me ahead of HIMSS, saying she’d like me to meet Helen Oscislawski, an attorney who works on legal issues regarding privacy. While Helen and I were talking during HIMSS by our kiosk, Lisa was there, too, and the Clonnectivity sparks flew as technical collided with legal aspects of consent in the best way possible.
After HIMSS, I was talking to Vince and mentioned that Helen would be a great subject matter expert for the workgroup. Then Lisa joined the call, and, unaware of the preceding discussion, also told Vince about Helen. Talk about serendipity!
DirectTrust has taken a leadership role in identity, recently releasing draft criteria for its new Identity Provider (IdP) Accreditation Program and the optional UDAP Identity Provider Program. Identity is a foundational element to effective consent execution. Once the Innovation Priorities Workgroup has fully explored the topic, it will tie up nicely with the work of our Release of Information Workgroup.
All of these Clonnections are exciting for the future of consent in healthcare, connecting the technical aspects of DirectTrust to improve the consent workflows that are also part of the Sequoia Project’s Privacy & Consent Workgroup I have participated in. DirectTrust focuses on the technical aspects of consent, so the input of Helen and others will be valuable to better understand the legal aspects of privacy and how any technical frameworks can respect the needs of providers, patients, clients, caregivers, and others along the healthcare spectrum.
As always, DirectTrust remains on the forefront of healthcare interoperability. And a few timely Clonnections help us do our important work.
Check out this episode of Talking the Walk where guest host Dave Anderson recorded live at HIMSS25 with guests Kathyrn Wickenhauser, Chief Strategy Officer, and Lisa Nelson, Chief Technical Officer at DirectTrust. Learn more about DirectTrust and their current initiatives.
