USCDI Task Force

Truly humbled and beyond thrilled to be invited to serve on the U.S. Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) Task Force, a subgroup of the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC). The USCDI is a standardized set of health data classes and constituent data elements for nationwide, interoperable health information exchange.

The USCDI Task Force is currently charged with reviewing and making recommendations on the Draft USCDI Version 2 content and process. I am committed to ensuring that the patient and carepartner perspective and unmet needs are amplified throughout this rigorous and critical review process.

I look forward to listening, learning from, and collaborating with my esteemed colleagues on the Task Force who have been tirelessly leading the way to a world where health information flows seamlessly and actionably, to a place where data silos no longer exist.

https://www.healthit.gov/hitac/member/grace-cordovano

Over My Dead Body

If you died today, who would you want to have access, or not, to your medical records? The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensures that personal health information (PHI) is not wrongfully used, improperly accessed, or shared. Did you know that HIPAA also protects an individual’s right to privacy for up to 50 years after their death?

Read on to learn about:
👉why your loved ones may need access to your medical records after your death. (**THIS IS A MUST READ LIFE-HACK**)
👉what guardrails are in place guiding access to a deceased individual's medical records.
👉challenges and information blocking routinely encountered by families.
👉how to prevent access being denied when it's needed the most.

https://www.unblock.health/blog/over-my-dead-body/

The Birth of Unblock Health

January is a time of reflection, inspiration, & rebirth. It is the perfect opportunity to tell you about how Unblock Health was welcomed into the world.

Your must read today 👉 The Birth of Unblock Health https://www.unblock.health/blog/the-birth-of-unblock-health/

Introducing Unblock Health

I’ve been laser-focused on something the majority of this last year. Meticulously, fervently, taking every free minute, working well into the quiet of the nights, into early morning hours. I pushed to the utmost limits of what I could never imagine, working head down. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this. I hope the aurora of my patient advocacy work will be a lifeline to those in need, especially when they are faced with their most desperate, darkest, most difficult moments in navigating their diagnosis.

I've listened to patients’ frustrations and witnessed the barriers they face in accessing their data. I've heard patients’ demands for transparency and watched them be completely ignored. I know first-hand the grief, loss, anxiety, and distrust that stems from data blocking. 

I've personally wiped away those tears from those who are suffering. I’ve cried my share of many tears on their behalf as well. 

Tears, complaints, and sleepless nights won’t change a thing. Policies and regulatory updates won’t work unless there is an actionable way to hold violators accountable. 

I have vowed to not stand back silently, powerlessly, and helplessly any longer. Today is the day we arm patients, their carepartners, and advocates with strategies to fight back against data blocking from the bottom up. I'm proud to present to you today Unblock Health: https://www.unblock.health