Trending NOW: HIMSS26 with Pooja Babbrah and Kathryn Wickenhauser

This special live episode of Healthcare Now Radio from HIMSS26 in Las Vegas features insightful discussions with two industry leaders on the future of healthcare interoperability and the critical role of pharmacists in clinical care. Pooja Babbrah, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Industry at NCPDP, emphasizes the long-standing but underappreciated contributions of her organization in pioneering real-time pharmacy interoperability, and advocates for integrating pharmacists more fully into the care team—especially in chronic disease management and care transitions. She highlights systemic barriers like lack of federal reimbursement recognition and policy gaps, despite existing technical standards and growing demand. Catherine Wickenhauser, Chief Strategy Officer at DirectTrust, discusses the evolving landscape of health data exchange, explaining how the Direct Secure Messaging Network provides a vital 'push' mechanism for secure, identity-verified communication—complementing FHIR's 'pull' model. She underscores the importance of trust frameworks, accreditation (like the Karen Code of Conduct), and emerging AI applications in empowering patients and institutions alike. Both guests stress that technological readiness exists, but policy, reimbursement, and education must catch up to unlock full potential. Key takeaways include: pharmacists are underutilized clinical assets with significant potential to alleviate provider shortages; federal reimbursement recognition for pharmacists is a critical policy gap; secure 'push' messaging via DirectTrust enables trusted data exchange beyond FHIR; patient data access and control are central to future health innovation; and accreditation programs like the Karen Code of Conduct are essential for building trust in health apps. The episode concludes with optimism that AI and interoperability advancements, when paired with the right policies and trust infrastructure, can transform patient care and system efficiency.