Written by Jolie Ritzo, Interim CEO, Civitas
The Civitas 2025 Annual Conference brought over 750 innovators, leaders, and changemakers from across the country together in Anaheim, California. Over the three days, attendees explored data-led solutions, pathways to improved interoperability, examples of collaboration, and community-led transformation.
With 70+ sessions across three thematic tracks, the conference spotlighted how Civitas members and partners are driving measurable progress in health data sharing, policy advancement, and systems change.
Keynotes featured:
- Dr. Hayes Bautista, who discussed the Latino epidemiological paradox, showcasing real world examples of public health data use and his decades of experience in the field. My team and I were so pleased he made the time to come and chat with our audience while still recovering from hip surgery!
- Dr. Theresa Cullen, who sat with me in a fireside-style chat, shared about the urgent need to humanize health care through technology, drawing on her global and domestic public health leadership to explore how we can fix what went wrong with past health IT rollouts, meaningfully integrate public and behavioral health into “one health system,” and improve maternal outcomes and patient-centered care—especially in underserved communities. This keynote came from a discussion at HIMSS in the hallways, and I was so happy to have it come to fruition.
- The Future of Interoperability panelists – Lisa Bari of Innovaccer, David Kendrick of MyHealth Access Network, Ryan Howells of Leavitt Partners, Priyanka Agarwal of HealthEx, and Jaime Bland of CyncHealth – who examined what it will take to truly integrate health data, the practical implications of the CMS Interoperability Framework, and how traditional networks can adapt in an ecosystem increasingly focused on direct patient access.
Additionally, throughout the three days, we dove deeper into breakout discussions on consent, cross-sector data exchange, Health Data Utility (HDU) maturity, quality improvement efforts, and so much more. Check out the full agenda to see the breadth of session types and focuses. However, throughout all of these sessions, Civitas 2025 reinforced one central message: our collective work is shaping a more connected, inclusive, and actionable system of health.
High-Level Takeaways: What We Heard and Learned
1. Interoperability is Evolving from Connectivity to Impact
Throughout the conference, participants emphasized that we must keep going by creating interoperable systems and multi-sector data sharing. The measure of success is the impact on improved patient outcomes, increased care coordination, and community well-being. States, public health agencies, rural health providers, community organizations, corrections, and many more are leveraging HDUs, Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), and Community Information Exchanges (CIEs) not only to share more comprehensive data but to use the increased data insights drive systemic change through policy and research, to address upstream drivers of health, and support real-time decision-making at the point of care be it at the bed side or in a community setting.
2. State and Federal Alignment Are Accelerating Progress
Discussions on CMS’ new Interoperability Framework, CMS-Aligned Networks, and several deep dives into California’s Data Exchange Framework (DxF) revealed growing coordination between federal agencies, state health departments, county authorities, and local implementers. As one keynote noted, “the future of interoperability is shared governance.” States and other key partners are increasingly turning to Civitas members as strategic partners – All Payer Claims Databases (APCDs), CIEs, HIEs, Health Collaboratives, and Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) – in implementing sustainable, inclusive data infrastructure and for technical assistance to support new workflows.
3. Unlocking Consent Hinges on Trust
Sessions across all three tracks underscored the importance of integrating community approaches to data exchange, capturing consent, and segmenting sensitive data to build greater trust. From updating demographic data standards to patient-centered governance models, speakers emphasized that health data must be managed responsibly and accurately reflect the voices of those it represents. Privacy and security are crucial when working with patients and organizations to address fragmented data and obtain proper consent. Achieving this requires careful data segmentation.
While this sounds straightforward in theory, in practice, segmenting data remains challenging. In 2025, parsing data is less about technical hurdles and more about building trust and understanding with key partners and patients. Major policy questions still exist about who is responsible for patient education, how to handle segmentation in mixed-use facilities, and how to manage consents over time. CIEs, HIEs, and HDUs are well-positioned to assist – they are working on solutions for digital identity, building cross-sector partnerships, reducing deduplication through master patient indexes, and adopting USCDI V3 à V6, along with other key capabilities.
4. AI and Advanced Analytics Are Tools—Not A Complete Replacement
Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), new uses of predictive modeling, and self-service analytics were featured prominently in breakout discussions. However, a recurring theme was the importance of using AI as a supporting instrument – to reduce administrative burden, close gaps in care, and enhance human decision-making – rather than a replacement for human interactions. Patients and providers are consulting AI all the time, but when it comes to the provider’s office, patients want face-to-face engagement with their providers. There is more work ahead in better understanding AI oversight and governance, and there is a tremendous opportunity to learn lessons from data stewards who have been doing similar work for the better part of the last 15 years.
Conference Themes: Insights Across the Three Tracks
Track 1: Interoperability, National Networks, Standards, and Technology
Sessions explored how organizations are operationalizing TEFCA and participating in nationa networks, advancing FHIR-based integrations, and measuring return on investment from increased data exchange. From CRISP Maryland’s eCQM reporting success to state-level HDU initiatives and discussion about how state exchange connects to national networks, attendees saw firsthand how interoperability can accelerate care delivery, public health response, and support affordability efforts.
Track 2: Promising Partnerships
Throughout the event, attendees heard what’s possible when partners connect to deliver comprehensive, high-quality data that drives improvement across systems. Examples included natural disaster response coordination, behavioral health integration, and cross-state initiatives to modernize chronic disease management and elevate care quality.
One powerful example came from Civitas members MetaStar, Inc. and the Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network (WISHIN), who demonstrated how quality improvement organizations (QIOs) and HIEs working together are transforming behavioral health outcomes across the state, starting with a small community in Northern Wisconsin. Their work exemplified how collaboration between behavioral health organizations, HIEs, and QIOs can strengthen care coordination, improve access, and support whole-person care.
Equally important, presenters emphasized the role of trust and sustainable business models in achieving these outcomes. Quality improvement depends not just on data availability, but on collaboration, transparency, and shared accountability among partners working toward better health for their communities.
Track 3: Community Information Exchange (CIE) Is Critical for Whole-Person Care
CIE sessions centered on the need for community voice and the social dimensions of health. Participants discussed strategies for aligning CIEs and HIEs, building multi-stakeholder governance structures, and ensuring that community-based organizations have the tools and funding needed to participate meaningfully in data exchange. It is well known at this point that what makes a person well primarily is outside the realm of health care, so now the work is integrating more comprehensive data sets and delivering services in community settings. Great progress is underway, and we have further to go in policy, research, and practice.
Where We Go Next: Continuing the Work Beyond Anaheim
As the Civitas community looks ahead, 2026 will focus on translating this momentum into sustained impact.
Key priorities include:
- Advancing HDU Capabilities Nationwide: Civitas and the Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI) are continuing their joint work to define and scale the HDU model nationwide, helping states adopt more cohesive, outcome-driven data systems. Building on lessons from earlier released resources: the HDU Framework and HDU Maturity Model, Civitas members are now working to operationalize shared technical standards, performance metrics, and governance models that ensure every state can harness data to improve health outcomes. The Civitas–CSRI partnership continues to amplify these learnings across the network, turning best practices into scalable frameworks for the future of health data interoperability.
- Strengthening CIE-HIE Alignment: Civitas members are expanding integration across health and social care systems to better address housing, behavioral health, and aging-related needs, further bridging CIEs and HIEs for true whole-person care. Some examples discussed at the conference include CyncHealth’s Unite Nebraska platform linking community-based organizations and health systems statewide; CRISP DC’s eConsent integration that supports behavioral health data sharing; and the Chicago Regionwide CIE, which connects health and social care data to improve outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness. Members like HealthierHere in Washington and Healthix in New York are also demonstrating how shared data standards, collaborative governance, and sustainable funding models can align health and social care ecosystems.
- Elevating Consent Frameworks: Civitas continues to support members in implementing data practices that prioritize transparency, inclusion, and trust. Across the network, members are advancing equity-centered approaches to data sharing—like CRISP DC and HealthInfoNet’s efforts to align privacy and consent frameworks for behavioral health data, and statewide initiatives in California and New Jersey to operationalize sensitive data exchange under 42 CFR Part 2. These projects illustrate how communities can embed consent and trust into the core of interoperability efforts, ensuring that health data benefits everyone equitably.
- Build Stronger Health Data and Improvement Ecosystems within States: Civitas members are working together across organization types to create stronger, more integrated health data ecosystems. An example includes CIVHC’s APCD-driven partnerships in Colorado that are supporting aligned quality improvement initiatives across payers and providers. This integrated approach is helping the state move from siloed systems toward unified infrastructures for measurement, improvement, and population health.
- Championing State and Federal Collaboration: Civitas serves as the bridge between policymakers and implementers to ensure community-informed policy solutions are heard. Through participation in initiatives like CMS Aligned Networks discussions, TEFCA onboarding, public health data modernization programs, and new care models, members are amplifying shared priorities around trust, governance, and sustainability. For example, Civitas’ partnership with CSRI is shaping national guidance for HDU development, ensuring local, state, and federal alignment around the future of health data exchange.
Together, Civitas members are proving that when health data is shared securely, and purposefully, and the data is taken into action, communities thrive.
Save the Date: Civitas 2026 Annual Conference
We’re already looking forward to next year! Join us in Crystal City, Virginia, September 22-24, 2026, for the next Civitas Annual Conference. Expect a new round of thought-provoking discussions, hands-on learning, and the unparalleled collaboration that defines our network. More information about our call for proposals, sponsorships, Community Excellence Awards and more will be available soon. Check out the gallery from this year’s event to get a feel for what it’s like to join us in person.
