WASHINGTON, DC January 5, 2023 – DirectTrust and the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) today announced the completion of their previously announced merger, effective January 4, 2023. Moving forward, DirectTrust, combined with EHNAC’s accreditation expertise, will create new opportunities for trust and assurance in the healthcare industry – including bringing to fruition new accreditation programs like consumer access and use of health data.
DirectTrust is a non-profit healthcare industry alliance created to support secure, identity-verified electronic exchanges of protected health information. EHNAC is a non-profit standards development organization and accrediting body for organizations that electronically exchange healthcare data.
“We’re excited to officially welcome EHNAC’s team of experts and assessors to the DirectTrust family. The completion of this merger significantly strengthens our accreditation capabilities, in particular for our members who will experience an improved and streamlined accreditation process,” said Scott Stuewe, DirectTrust President and CEO. “However, the impact of this merger will reverberate well beyond our members. This move further supports trust and security in nationwide trust frameworks and networks throughout the healthcare ecosystem as we strive to become the nation’s premier healthcare-focused accreditation, standards development, and technical trust partner.”
EHNAC senior leaders Executive Director and CEO Lee Barrett and COO Debra Hopkinson, long-standing pillars of the health IT trust and accreditation communities, will continue to work for and consult with DirectTrust as Commission Executive Director and Executive Advisor, respectively. EHNAC staff members and assessors will also join DirectTrust. Additionally, the EHNAC Commission will remain intact and be designated as Commissioners overseeing accreditation-specific matters. The DirectTrust Board of Directors will continue as is.
“Now officially part of DirectTrust, we look forward to strengthening our longstanding commitment to helping maintain patient and provider confidence in data-sharing networks and reducing cyber exposure throughout the industry,” said Lee Barrett, Commission Executive Director. “While TEFCA continues its presence as a driving force towards interoperability, accreditation and certification will continue to play a critical role to promote adherence to standards and best practices while protecting patient data and assuring stakeholder trust. We look forward to providing further opportunity for members and accredited organizations to comply with the ever-evolving legislative and regulatory revisions impacting the way health information is shared.”
Additional information, including FAQs, about the DirectTrust-EHNAC merger may be found at https://bit.ly/DTEHNAC.
About DirectTrust
DirectTrust™ is a non-profit, vendor-neutral alliance dedicated to instilling trust in the exchange of health data. The organization serves as a forum for a consensus-driven community focused on health communication, an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards development organization, an accreditation and certification body through EHNAC (the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission), and developer of trust frameworks and supportive services for secure information exchange like Direct Secure Messaging and trusted, compliant document submission.
The goal of DirectTrust is to develop, promote, and, as necessary, help enforce the rules and best practices necessary to maintain privacy, security, and trust for stakeholders across and beyond healthcare. In addition, DirectTrust is committed to fostering widespread public confidence in the interoperable exchange of health information while promoting quality service, innovation, cooperation, and open competition in healthcare. To learn more, visit: DirectTrust.org.