How Local Health Information Exchange Improves National Data Sharing Initiatives

By Jenn Searls 

I was fortunate enough to speak at HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition this March about the role health information exchange plays in supporting care, public health, and broader data-sharing efforts. 

The theme of that discussion was the role local health information exchanges play in making federal initiatives possible.  

National efforts like TEFCA, disease surveillance, and quality reporting depend on data that originates in communities. Executing these initiatives starts with basic connectivity. More importantly, it requires trusted, local infrastructure to support consistent participation, meaningful data sharing, and collaboration across a wide range of providers.  

At Connie, we’re proud to be the critical connector between our local communities and national efforts.  

Why Local Health Information Exchanges Matter 

Local HIEs operate as the “boots on the ground” for national interoperability.

Organizations like Connie are responsible for working directly with providers, establishing governance structures, and building relationships that make data sharing possible. That includes engaging organizations that are critical to broader data-sharing efforts but lack the connectivity to large health systems or enterprise electronic medical records.  

Consistency is key here, as those connections are what make data whole and usable on both the state and national level. Without local engagement, even well-designed interoperability frameworks or broad networks can struggle to produce complete, reliable information.  

Connecting Local Work to National Priorities 

Federal initiatives rely on high-quality, standardized data. However, that level of quality is not achieved on the national level—it is built locally.  

At Connie, much of our work focuses on improving data quality in collaboration with the organizations contributing data. One example is our effort to strengthen race, ethnicity and language (REL) data across Connecticut. By implementing the PIQXL Gateway, we are able to better understand where inconsistencies originate and work directly with providers to address them at the source.  

This type of work requires ongoing engagement, defined standards, and a shared understanding of why the data matters. Over time, those efforts lead to more complete data sets, more reliable reporting, and a stronger foundation for both clinical care and public health initiatives. 

Gaps in information, variations in how data is captured, or uncertainty about its accuracy can quickly undermine confidence in the system. When that happens, participation becomes less consistent, and the value of the exchange is harder to realize.  

Ultimately, organizations need to understand how their data is being used and feel confident in the systems that support its exchange.  

Looking Ahead 

In Connecticut, Connie builds trust through consistent collaboration with providers, state partners, and other stakeholders. That work is what allows local participation to scale into something larger.  

When data is reliable at the source and supported by strong governance and engagement, it can be used confidently across systems. Federal initiatives rely on this foundation. Their success depends on the strength and consistency of the local networks that support them.