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Seven years in the making, a nationwide network to exchange patient data called the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement is now operational, marking a critical step in establishing universal connectivity across providers. The interoperability framework, called TEFCA, was mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act back in 2016 and was designed to create an infrastructure to enable data sharing between health information networks. (Landi, 12/12)

The TEFCA launch represents a milestone in the long journey toward national health data interoperability, said HHS Secretary Xavier Beccera at a news conference. The creation of TEFCA was required by the 21st Century Cures Act, which was signed into law in December 2016 by President Barack Obama. But Micky Tripathi, national coordinator for health IT, said the government’s vision for a national exchange of health information dates back nearly 20 years to when ONC was established in 2004 under President George W. Bush. (Perna, 12/12)