The 2025 CommonWell Fall Summit in Indianapolis, our 12th year of bringing together the nation’s fiercest champions of health data exchange—on site and online—for two days of bold debate, real-world insights, and a clear-eyed look at the next decade of connected care. Here are just a few highlights from this one-of-a-kind gathering.
A Fiery, Focused Community
One theme towered above the rest: unrelenting passion. Leaders wrestled with long-term solutions in a rapidly shifting landscape, sparring over strategy (yes, the panels were spicy) while rallying around an unshakable truth—trust and community drive interoperability forward.
CMS Aligned Framework: The Next Wave
The headline session, CMS Aligned Framework: Driving the Next Wave of Interoperability, illuminated how TEFCA, Individual Access Services (IAS), and the CMS Framework converge to expand patient access and provider connectivity nationwide.
Tom Visotsky, VP & CRO from CommonWell member Health Gorilla captured the moment:
“It is so encouraging to listen to this open discussion among various stakeholders. Health Gorilla is committed to the CMS Aligned Framework and while important details are still being addressed, these discussions drive progress.”
A Hard Truth: There’s Always More to Be Done
Brendan Keeler delivered a jolt of realism: “There’s always more to be done.”
With 75% of providers already connected, he described today’s reality as the “messy middle”—the critical stage where networks scale and friction surfaces.
Despite API victories and regulatory gains, he spotlighted the reality of the frontline:
- Care managers still chase records manually.
- Nurse navigators play phone tag for discharge summaries.
- Social workers rebuild care plans because data doesn’t follow patients home.
His challenge to the field: demand technology that truly supports whole-person care.
Echoing Keeler, attending nursing leaders urged EHR vendors to understand actual workflows—not just data fields—so technology becomes a genuine partner in patient care.
Federal Vision: Dr. Keane & ASTP
Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy Dr. Keane outlined the federal roadmap for the next decade of interoperability.
- TEFCA momentum: 41,000+ sites live and more than 26 million documents exchanged since its 2023 go-live.
- CMS Aligned Networks: designed to reduce administrative burden and expand exchange purposes beyond treatment to payment, operations, and research.
- AI readiness: a coordinated federal effort to accelerate adoption while maintaining trust and strong governance.
His message was clear: participation and alignment with TEFCA and the CMS framework are essential to scale nationwide, standards-based data exchange.
Marketing the Journey: Understanding the Interoperability Lifecycle
Marketing strategist Emily Peters invited attendees to examine interoperability through a technology-adoption lifecycle, noting that the field has spent decades in the “wiggles of false hope” but is finally gaining the momentum needed to reach the promised land.
To ground the concept, Emily shared compelling case studies:
- National Interoperability Policy – showing how federal initiatives set the pace for adoption.
- VITL in Vermont – a statewide example of sustainable health data exchange.
- Manifest MedEx in California – proof that regional networks can scale and engage communities.
She asked participants to pinpoint where their own organizations or states sit on this curve—and consider how smart engagement with the market can accelerate the interoperability journey.
The Road Ahead
As one attending organization summed up:
“Interoperability’s first decade proved that nationwide data exchange is possible. The next decade will be defined by how we govern, scale, and apply it.”
The Summit’s verdict is unmistakable: Interoperability is no longer aspirational—it’s operational.
Now is the time to:
- Engage with TEFCA and IAS initiatives.
- Equip frontline staff with tools that match real-world workflows.
- Invest in the trust and community that make nationwide exchange unstoppable.