The Sequoia Project and HL7 Enter Strategic Collaboration To Advance FHIR Implementations Nationwide

 Health Level Seven International (HL7), a leading standards-development organization, and The Sequoia Project, a non-profit and trusted advocate for nationwide health information technology (health IT) interoperability, are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration to advance global health data interoperability by accelerating the adoption of the HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standards in the United States.

“We are thrilled to announce this alliance with HL7,” said Mariann Yeager, CEO of The Sequoia Project. “We look forward to working with HL7, alongside private and public sector subject matter experts, to advance nationwide FHIR implementation to improve interoperability nationwide.”

HL7 and The Sequoia Project will work together to accelerate the HL7 FHIR standard through coordinating with the work of FHIR at Scale Taskforce HL7 FHIR Accelerator (FAST).

Through this strategic relationship, HL7 and The Sequoia Project aim to continue working together in areas of mutual interest, including standards deployment and adoption, alignment between HL7 FHIR Accelerator projects and Sequoia initiatives, and creating a feedback loop to HL7 based on lessons learned from real-world production-level exchange initiatives, education, and testing.

“At HL7, we are delighted to continue the journey toward meaningful interoperability with The Sequoia Project,” said Charles Jaffe, M.D., Ph.D., HL7 CEO. “Close collaboration is certain speed to market health IT interoperability improvements to reduce the strain on health systems, diminish clinician burden, and improve the lives of our patients.”

The focus of the FAST collaboration will be to promote alignment, where possible and applicable, in the following areas to begin:

1. HL7 FAST Security for Scalable Registration, Authorization, and Authentication
2. HL7 FAST Interoperable Digital Identity and Patient Matching
3. HL7 FAST National Healthcare Directory
4. HL7 FAST Hybrid/Intermediary Exchange
5. HL7 FAST Consent at Scale

FAST, initially an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) -convened initiative, was launched in late 2017 in response to an industry-recognized need to address shared FHIR scalability challenges. Acting as a neutral convener, ONC facilitated the engagement of a highly representative group of volunteer healthcare industry stakeholders and health information technology expertise, before transferring the program to HL7.