InteropNow! @ ViVE: Can We Talk? Fixing Healthcare Communication One Message at a Time with DirectTrust

Ever wonder why your healthcare providers can't just send each other your medical records with a simple click? Or why coordinating care between your primary doctor and a specialist feels like watching a game of telephone played in slow motion?

In today's episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, Chief Strategy Officer for DirectTrust, to unpack the complex world of healthcare communication security. DirectTrust are the architects working behind the scenes to build the digital bridges that could revolutionize how your medical information travels safely between providers. Identity-verified communication is absolutely critical for patient safety

In this episode, they talk about:

• Why identity-verified communication is critical in healthcare

• Push-based interoperability vs. query-based exchange: What’s the difference and why it matters

• How DirectTrust enhances healthcare interoperability and secure communication

• Understanding Direct Secure Messaging and its role in protected health information (PHI) exchange

• The challenges of creating a national directory of healthcare providers

• How the Elizabeth Dole Veterans Act improves care coordination between the VA and community providers

A Little About Kathryn:

Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, MBA, CHPC, CHTS, is the Chief Strategy Officer at DirectTrust, where she leads strategic partnerships, community engagement, and national efforts to advance trusted health information exchange. With over 15 years in health IT, she’s helped shape standards, policies, and technology around privacy, interoperability, and provider communication. A former HIPAA compliance officer, Kathryn’s insights have been featured across top health IT publications and podcasts. She’s been recognized as one of Healthjump’s “10 Healthcare IT Leaders You Should Know” and the 2022 HITMC Marketing Professional of the Year. She also founded the Interoperability Hero and Team Interop initiatives, celebrating innovation and collaboration in healthcare tech.