Carequality Taps Dave Cassel to Lead Industry Initiative Driving Interoperability Among Health Information Exchange Networks

MCLEAN, VA--(Marketwired - Feb 3, 2015) - Healtheway, a non-profit, public-private collaborative focused on advancing the implementation of interoperable health information exchange (HIE), today announced the organization has hired Dave Cassel to oversee the Carequality Initiative.

Industry and government worked together to launch Carequality in the spring of 2014 under the management of Healtheway. Carequality was formed with an ambitious goal: to achieve in healthcare what the banking and telecom industries have done to link together ATM and cell phone networks.

For the many health information exchange networks that are already advancing interoperability among their own members, Carequality will provide a bridge, allowing the members of separate networks to connect to each other. The ultimate mission is to ensure that healthcare information is appropriately accessible wherever it is needed, regardless of individual providers' geographical location, electronic health record (EHR) vendor of choice, or HIE network affiliation.

"Hiring Dave is an incredibly important step in transitioning Carequality from planning to implementation," said Mariann Yeager, Healtheway CEO. "We wanted a dedicated leader for Carequality -- ideally someone with extensive experience tackling and overcoming HIE interoperability issues in real world scenarios. Having worked with Dave as a partner in Carequality and witnessing his expertise and enthusiasm, he is the perfect person to lead this effort."

Cassel has worked 17 years in health information technology, creating a national reputation as an expert in health information exchange. He has developed and launched health IT initiatives and applications throughout his career, constantly incorporating interoperability into all projects.

Cassel served most of his career at Epic Systems Corporation, with the last nine years focused primarily on health information exchange and interoperability issues. As part of his work, he regularly represented Epic in nationwide interoperability efforts, notably working on Carequality where he served on the steering committee to help stand up the initiative through Healtheway.

"Having spent the last decade focused on interoperability, I think the time is right for Carequality. I welcome the opportunity to jump in with both feet," said Cassel. "Carequality has the potential to provide a huge leap in interoperability. There are amazing efforts in HIE happening throughout the country, but they're not currently able to connect with each other. Carequality will allow these initiatives to come together into a whole that will dramatically surpass the sum of the separate parts. I'm thrilled to be a part of the effort. It's an exciting time in the industry."

Cassel holds a Master's of Science in economics from the University of Wisconsin and a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Delaware.

To learn more about Carequality and find out how your organization can participate, visit www.carequality.org or follow on Twitter at @carequalitynet.

About Healtheway
Healtheway is a non-profit 501c3 chartered to advance implementation of secure, interoperable nationwide health information exchange (HIE). Healtheway currently supports two initiatives: the eHealth Exchange, a rapidly growing community of exchange partners who share information under a common trust framework and a common set of rules; and Carequality, a public-private collaborative effort to build consensus among existing health IT data exchange programs regarding technical specifications and best practices (similar to when the banking industry created a nationwide ATM network). Healtheway leads in cross-industry collaboration to develop implementation strategies that enable secure, interoperable nationwide exchange of health information. For more information about Healtheway, the eHealth Exchange and Carequality, visit www.healthewayinc.org. Follow Healtheway on Twitter: @HealthewayInc @eHealthExchange and @carequalitynet.

About Carequality
Carequality is a public-private collaborative that facilitates agreement among diverse stakeholders to develop and maintain a common interoperability framework enabling seamless exchange between and among networks. Carequality brings together a diverse group of representatives from the private sector and government to come to collective agreement on how to enable data to flow seamlessly between and among networks and providers, much like the banking industry did for ATM / ACH transactions. For more information, visit www.carequality.org and follow us at twitter.com/carequality.