First Vendors Achieve EHNAC Direct Trusted Agent Accreditation Program Standards

Four organizations evaluated in interoperable, secure messaging using the Direct protocol

First Vendors Achieve EHNAC Direct Trusted Agent Accreditation Program Standards

<0> Dodge CommunicationsJennifer Jennings, 770-576-2556orEHNACDebra Hopkinson, 860-408-1620 </0>

The (EHNAC), a non-profit standards development organization and accrediting body, has announced that the first four vendors have achieved its Direct Trusted Agent Accreditation Program (DTAAP) designation. The accreditation program assesses an organization based upon the areas of security, privacy and confidentiality, technical and personnel resources, best practices and compliance with the Direct protocol and guidelines.

, , and were each accredited for the three unique DTAAP programs, specific for health information service provider (HISP), registration authority (RA) and certificate authority (CA) functions.

Through the specifications and protocols of the Direct Project, HISPs, CAs and RAs are working together to enable healthcare providers to achieve secure health information exchange and comply with Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements by the implementation deadline of January 2014.

In March 2013, was awarded a federal cooperative agreement grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) endorsing the collaboratively developed EHNAC-DirectTrust DTAAP program for the promulgation of industry security and identity compliance with these rules.

“We congratulate these first accredited organizations for their demonstrated excellence in industry standards of health data exchange,” says Lee Barrett, executive director of EHNAC. “We are working collaboratively with our partners at DirectTrust, ONC along with other healthcare stakeholders such as HISPs, CAs and RAs looking to achieve Meaningful Use Stage 2 compliance. It is organizations such as these that are assisting to lead the way toward improving the business of healthcare. We encourage additional interested parties to review the application process for these DTAAP programs.”

EHNAC accreditation recognizes excellence in health data processing and transactions, and confirms compliance with industry-established standards and HIPAA regulations. Visit for more details or to review the .

The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) is a voluntary, self-governing standards development organization (SDO) established to develop standard criteria and accredit organizations that electronically exchange healthcare data. These entities include electronic health networks, payers, financial services firms, health information exchanges, medical billers, outsourced services and e-prescribing solution providers.

EHNAC was founded in 1993 and is a tax-exempt 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. Guided by peer evaluation, the EHNAC accreditation process promotes quality service, innovation, cooperation and open competition in healthcare. To learn more, visit or contact . Connect with EHNAC on , and .