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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
The U.S. spent decades digitizing healthcare records — but patients are still repeating their medical history at every new provider. Former CMS Administrator Seema Verma argues that true progress means making those records flow seamlessly across the system. As CMS marks the first anniversary of its "Kill the Clipboard" initiative, the push for real interoperability is gaining momentum.
Nearly every U.S. hospital now uses an electronic health record — a massive achievement fueled by billions in public and private investment. But as former CMS Administrator Seema Verma points out, digitizing records and connecting them are two very different things. Patients still routinely re-enter their medical history, medications, and insurance info at every new provider, because health data too often stays locked inside siloed systems rather than following the patient.
Verma, now EVP at Oracle Health and Life Sciences, makes the case that interoperability isn't just an IT problem — it's a patient experience problem. Fragmented records lead to duplicate tests, delayed appointments, and clinicians making decisions without the full picture. Standards like FHIR-based APIs are helping, but the real shift requires updated workflows, clear policy expectations, and technology that makes data sharing intuitive.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: As CMS marks the first anniversary of its "Kill the Clipboard" initiative, the conversation is shifting from whether to connect health data to how fast it can happen — with real consequences for patient safety, care quality, and the promise of AI in medicine.
