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ONC Launches Cartos, a New Terminology Service. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) launched a new health information technology (IT) terminology service called Cartos. Cartos is a public, FHIR-enabled terminology service that helps implementers find, understand, and use terminology content connected to ONC regulations and the Standards Version Advancement Process. ONC contends the intent of Cartos is to streamline and simplify the need to search for terminology content by bringing regulatory context, implementation guide references, and metadata, together in one coordinated location. The Cartos FHIR API is a read-only, FHIR R4-based API that allows developers and integration teams to retrieve, search, expand, look up, and validate terminology content programmatically. The Cartos Terminology Browser is a web-based interface that allows users to search and browse terminology content without installing software or creating an account. 

ONC Provides Updates on US Quality Core Work. ONC, through its ONC Health IT Certification Program Developer Newsletter, shared updates on its US Quality Core work. US Quality Core will be included for the first time in the upcoming September Health Level 7 (HL7) ballot cycle where they are anticipating a robust review. They will also be running a US Quality Core track at the upcoming September FHIR Connectathon, which is an opportunity for the industry to test their systems and provide feedback on the functionality of US Quality Core Implementation Guide. ONC calls on the industry to:

Sign up for ONC Health IT Certification Program updates. 

CISA Updates Internet Exposure Reduction Guidance. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has updated its Internet Exposure Reduction Guidance to help organizations identify internet-accessible systems, remove unnecessary exposure, and secure required remote access. Many organizations unknowingly expose information technology and operational technology assets to the internet that threat actors can use to identify publicly accessible systems with misconfigurations, default credentials, and outdated software. CISA encourages organizations to routinely assess their internet-accessible assets, verify third-party remote access, remove unnecessary exposure, and secure required access.

CMS’ Releases IOTA Model Data to Researchers. CMS released the Innovation Center’s Increasing Organ Transplant Access (IOTA) Model Research Identifiable Files for use by researchers. The IOTA Model is the latest model to have released data as part of the CMS Innovation Center Model Data Sharing (CMDS) initiative. Each model in the release may have a separate file for each of the three types of participation data: entities, providers, and beneficiaries, if data is available. Not all models have data for each participation file type. The release contains data up to June 30, 2026. For information about all CMDS participating models and data files, visit the CMMI Model Data Sharing Model Participation Data Initiative page. 

CMS Releases Guide on Telehealth and Teleradiology Enrollment. CMS released the Understanding Telehealth & Teleradiology Enrollment guide to assist providers enrolling in Medicare to provide telehealth and teleradiology services. The flexibility allowed by CMS during the COVID-19 public health emergency is now permanent policy and providers are able to deliver telehealth services from home. The guide instructs providers through several scenarios on how to complete the enrollment.

OCR Reflects on 30 Years of HIPAA Privacy and Security. In a video, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Director Paula Stannard reflects on 30 years of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy and security provisions and requirements. HIPAA became law in August 1996 and established individuals’ right to access their personal health information, along with the protection and security of that information. The video provides a timeline of the privacy and security rules from initial promulgation to updates made over the years. Director Stannard also addresses ongoing work of the agency to improve care coordination and data interoperability while maintaining privacy and security protections.

OMB Receives Part 2 SUD FAQs for Review. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) received a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document from OCR on “Part 2 Confidentiality Requirements for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records and Exceptions to Medicaid Community Engagement Requirements for Certain Individuals with SUD.” No additional information was provided on the action. OMB typically has up to 90 days to review documents it receives. 

NIST Discusses Work to Safeguard Computers from Quantum Computers with New Standards. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) discussed its ongoing work in developing standards to safeguard computers and personal information from quantum computers. Currently, sensitive data available in computers, tablets, and smartphones are protected with a technology known as cryptography, which is nearly impossible for current computers to crack. As quantum computers continue to develop, they have the potential to break that technology. The work to stay ahead of quantum computers is called post-quantum cryptography. Learn more about this work by NIST at: www.nist.gov.

ONC Hosting 2026 Kidney Data Discovery Workshop. ONC, along with HHS, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), and other leaders from across the kidney care community, is hosting an in-person, all-day workshop on September 10. The workshop will begin with the introduction of the KidneyX EMPOWER Challenge Competition Winners Showcase, including remarks from HHS and ASN. Additional information and registration are available here.

HHS announced the nine winners of the 2026 KidneyX EMPOWER: Living Link Prize Challenge, a public-private partnership between HHS and ASN, that awarded $4 million to accelerate innovation supporting living kidney donors. The winners of the challenge are:

  • Grand Prize Winner: Richard Horsley, LivingLink
  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian, DonorForward
  • Dartmouth Transplant, A Rural Living Donor Tele-Navigation Hub
  • Kidney Connective, Best-fit routing for donors and their pairs
  • MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, Expanding Living Kidney Donation in Adults 65 and Older
  • National Kidney Donation Organization, The NKDO Living Link Network
  • NYU Langone Health Transplant Institute, CADENCE
  • Regenstrief Institute, LIVINGkidney
  • Virginia Commonwealth University, The KHCP Living Link Pathway
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