Converge Health Iowa Begins Operational Transition As Iowa’s Health Information Exchange

Statewide exchange moves forward with renewed focus on rural access, expanded connectivity, and participant continuity

DES MOINES, IA, UNITED STATES, March 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Converge Health Iowa (CHI) has formally begun operations as the Iowa Health Information Exchange (HIE) following its selection through a competitive RFP process earlier this year.

Converge Health Iowa brings specialized expertise in advancing interoperability that supports expanded connectivity to rural providers, behavioral health organizations, and social care partners.

"Converge Health Iowa was founded to drive the kind of integrated, whole-person care that Iowa is now prioritizing," said Laura Young, Executive Director of Converge Health Iowa. "Leading the HIE allows us to build a data infrastructure that does more than move information, but focuses on use cases that improve the lives of Iowans, particularly in our rural and underserved communities."

Focused on Service Restoration and Continuity
As CHI assumes responsibility for the statewide exchange, its immediate focus is stabilizing services, restoring secure data access, and establishing a modern foundation for long-term interoperability across Iowa’s healthcare ecosystem.

“Reliable health information exchange is a foundational public service,” said Laura Young, Executive Director of Converge Health Iowa. “Our team is working directly with healthcare organizations across Iowa to restore connections, clarify next steps, and ensure that continuity of care remains the top priority. Behind every data feed is a patient and a provider who depends on it.”

Deploying a Modern, Standards-Based Platform
As part of this next phase of Iowa’s HIE, Converge Health Iowa is partnering with Orion Health to deploy a modern, standards-based HIE technology platform designed to support secure, scalable data exchange.

Orion Health brings more than 30 years of experience implementing and operating large-scale health information exchange infrastructure across the United States and internationally.

“Health information exchange at the state level requires infrastructure that performs reliably amid operational, regulatory, and organizational complexity,” said James Henderson, SVP & General Manager, U.S. at Orion Health. “Our responsibility is to provide Converge Health Iowa with a secure, standards-based foundation that enables consistent performance, clear governance, and long-term sustainability.”

The new platform is being implemented with a forward-looking design to support expanded interoperability, rural connectivity, behavioral health integration, and whole-person care use cases over time.

Direct Support for Iowa Participants
To provide immediate clarity and assistance during the transition, Converge Health Iowa has established dedicated support resources:

Transition Support Email:
PatientCentered@ConvergeHLTHiowa.org
A direct communication channel to the Iowa Transition Team for clinical and administrative leaders.

Live Updates & Resource Center:
Converge Health Iowa FAQs

A centralized location for real-time updates, frequently asked questions, and implementation guidance.
Healthcare organizations with questions regarding participation, reconnection timelines, or onboarding are encouraged to contact the CHI team directly.

About Converge Health Iowa
Converge Health Iowa is an Iowa-based nonprofit organization designated to administer and operate the statewide Health Information Exchange. The organization is focused on ensuring secure, reliable, and meaningful exchange of health data in support of care coordination, public health, and whole-person care across Iowa.

Its work prioritizes responsible stewardship of health data, rural access, behavioral health and social care integration, and the long-term sustainability of the state’s health information infrastructure.

For more information, visit https://convergehlth.org/.

About Orion Health
Orion Health, a HEALWELL Group company, is a global healthcare technology company that enables health systems, health information exchanges, and public sector health organizations to address fragmentation across the continuum of care. Through its Unified Healthcare Platform, including the Amadeus longitudinal health record and the Virtuoso patient engagement platform, Orion Health delivers secure, cross-organizational data exchange and AI-enabled decision support.

With more than 30 years of experience delivering large-scale health information exchange and population health infrastructure, Orion Health helps organizations improve clinical outcomes, operational performance, and value-based care models.

This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a year one financial assistance award totaling $6,110,439 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, CMS/HHS, or the U.S Government.

For more information, visit https://orionhealth.com/us.

Laura Young
Converge Health Iowa
email us here

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