Netsmart Strengthens Interoperability Leadership Through CMS Health Technology Ecosystem Pledge

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#CMSAlignedNetwork--Netsmart, an industry-leading provider of healthcare technology solutions and services for community-based care providers, announced its commitment to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Tech Ecosystem initiative as a CMS Aligned Network. Through this pledge, Netsmart will work collaboratively to adopt and help implement the CMS Interoperability Framework to support secure, standards-based access to health information in compliance with applicable regulations and patient privacy requirements.

The CMS Health Tech Ecosystem initiative brings together healthcare technology organizations and networks to advance interoperable data exchange nationwide. Participation in the initiative reflects a long-standing role in shaping national interoperability efforts and a focus on supporting the representation of community-based care settings as digital health frameworks continue to evolve.

“True advancement in interoperability requires both vision and execution from stakeholders across healthcare organizations, government, payers and the broader ecosystem,” said AJ Peterson, SVP & GM of Interoperability, Netsmart. “This pledge allows Netsmart to extend our interoperability leadership within a national framework. In doing so, we aim to further connect the healthcare ecosystem and help improve timely access to meaningful health information.”

Peterson was recently elected to the Board of Directors of The Sequoia Project, the recognized coordinating entity for the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). His election reflects his interoperability leadership throughout his career, as well as the Netsmart dedication to advancing the development and oversight of large-scale data exchange frameworks that further connect the healthcare ecosystem.

Netsmart has been actively engaged within workgroups supporting the CMS Aligned Network initiative, bringing more than a decade of interoperability leadership and experience to these efforts. As the first electronic health record (EHR) provider built primarily for human services and post-acute care to become a designated Quality Health Information Network^® (QHIN^™), Netsmart serves as a trusted, nationwide gateway for secure, standards-based health information exchange under TEFCA. As a Designated QHIN, Netsmart supports the open sharing of longitudinal patient data across providers, health systems, payers and government entities to enhance coordinated, whole-person, value-based care.

Furthermore, Netsmart is currently also one of only two EHR providers¹ capable of facilitating 360X closed-loop referrals, supporting CMS-endorsed standards for care transitions and coordination through automated, standards-based referral status updates and clinical information exchange between primary care and community-based care settings. Through its participation in the CMS Health Technology Ecosystem, Netsmart will extend its interoperability capabilities as part of this broader federal initiative.

As an advocate on behalf of human services and post-acute providers and the individuals they serve, Netsmart looks forward to collaborating with CMS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and industry organizations to support this initiative. The company commends HHS for championing to advance secure, standards-based interoperability that targets improved outcomes, enhances coordination and delivers a near-seamless, efficient experience for patients and staff.

Learn more about the CMS Health Technology Ecosystem and Interoperability Framework here.

About Netsmart

Netsmart is an industry-leading healthcare technology organization empowering providers to deliver value-based care to the individuals and communities they serve. The Netsmart CareFabric® platform serves as a unified, connected framework of solutions and services for human services, post-acute, payer and public sector communities. Together with our clients and Marketplace vendors, we develop and deliver innovative technology, including electronic health records (EHRs), interoperability, analytics, augmented intelligence (AI), population health management and telehealth solutions and services that assist organizations in transforming the care they deliver. The result has helped make a positive impact on the lives of more than 165 million individuals.

For more than 55 years, Netsmart has helped provider organizations in their efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities we collectively serve. To learn more, visit ntst.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook or X.

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1 As of December 2025, Netsmart and Epic are the only known EHR providers supporting live 360X closed-loop referral workflows; other EHR vendors are in various stages of piloting or evaluating 360X functionality.

Contacts

Netsmart Media Contact:
Natalie Caruso
ncaruso@ntst.com
913.308.2080