Interview with Nichole Sweeney, General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer of CRISP Shared Services, Discusses the Non-Profit's Health Information Exchanges
In the realm of Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), CRISP Shared Services (CSS) stands as a pioneer, providing technology infrastructure and services to over 10 jurisdictions across the United States. At the helm of this non-profit organization is Nichole Sweeney, the General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer.
Sweeney's journey to CSS is an interesting one. After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, she began her career at a large law firm, focusing on regulatory energy. However, a family connection led her to The MITRE Corporation, a federally funded research and development organization with a focus on healthcare following the Affordable Care Act (ACA). At MITRE, Sweeney rose through the ranks, becoming the department head of the health policy department and managing 10 healthcare policy, interoperability, and operations projects worth over $25 million.
In October 2024, Sweeney joined CSS as Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Privacy Officer. Since then, she has been instrumental in overseeing the legal and privacy functions for an organization that serves nearly 4,900 healthcare organizations and over 63,000 users, facilitating on average 1.4 million health information queries each month.
One of CSS's most significant achievements under Sweeney's leadership was engineering a custom portal for Maryland's public health technology and data modernization needs, becoming the first in the nation to implement the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). This milestone not only solidified CSS's position as a trailblazer in the HIE sector but also highlighted Sweeney's expertise in health interoperability.
CSS's approach is both use case-driven and policy-driven, focusing on solving real-world problems while ensuring policy compliance. This ethos is evident in CSS's work on restrictive data sharing of abortion data in Maryland, which has become a national model. The model, built by CSS, reflects the policies in each state, aiming to build trust in health data interoperability by implementing tight privacy controls.
Sweeney's commitment to the industry extends beyond her role at CSS. She volunteers her time with the eHealth Exchange QHIN, the TEFCA Transitional Council, and the Carequality Steering Committee. She is also involved in pilot projects across the country to help providers and public health officials become comfortable with data sharing through a national network.
Moreover, CSS seeks to establish a governance engine in each state, allowing for the governance of data at the state level as it enters and leaves the state. This approach ensures that HIEs operate securely and compliantly across multiple states.
Recently, CSS was selected by the CDC as one of three awardees under the $255 million National Implementation Center Program. This recognition underscores CSS's commitment to remaining the go-to technology partner for Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) across the country.
Sweeney's work at CSS is making a significant impact, not just in the technology landscape of HIEs, but also in shaping healthcare policy. Her educational technical assistance to legislators in Maryland resulted in legislation that allows data parsing to be implemented at a scalable level, demonstrating her ability to bridge the gap between policy and technology.
In conclusion, under the leadership of Nichole Sweeney, CRISP Shared Services is revolutionizing the Health Information Exchange sector, providing secure, compliant, and effective solutions to complex data challenges.
- Nichole Sweeney, with her expertise in health interoperability, has significantly contributed to CRISP Shared Services' (CSS) success in engineering a custom portal for medical-conditions data, becoming the first in the nation to implement the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA).
- As the General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at CSS, Sweeney plays a pivotal role in overseeing the legal and privacy functions for an organization that serves numerous healthcare organizations and users, promoting health-and-wellness and fostering secure and compliant health information exchanges (HIEs) across multiple states.
