Christy Bricker, vice president of strategic operations at Murj
Photo: Murj
This year, the interoperability conversation is shifting from technical connectivity to strategic data curation, said Christy Bricker, vice president of strategic operations at Murj. The vendor of cardiac device management software is in booth 419 in the exhibit hall at the HIMSS26 Global Health Conference & Exposition this week in Las Vegas. It also is in kiosk 12511-10 in the Interoperability Marketplace.
"Over the past decade, healthcare organizations have invested heavily in building connections between systems," she said. "Most health systems now can move data between platforms. The challenge is that much of that data – particularly in legacy cardiac device environments – is inconsistent, duplicative or incomplete.
"In some cardiac clinic databases, error rates can reach 50%," she continued. "In others, only 40%-60% of listed patients are truly active. Simply connecting these systems does not create value. It amplifies inefficiency and risk. At HIMSS26, the real issue is no longer, 'Can systems connect?' It is, 'Is the data accurate, normalized, and ready to support clinical and operational decision-making?' Interoperability without data readiness is incomplete."
What leaders need to do
CIOs and IT leaders at hospitals and health systems should shift their focus from integration counts to data quality and operational usability, Bricker advised. She said three priorities stand out.
"First, audit legacy data environments before migration," she recommended. "Health systems should assess error rates, inactive patient records, inconsistent device identifiers and documentation variability before transitioning platforms. Migration should be intentional and curated – not wholesale replication of historical inaccuracies.
"Second, establish formal data governance for device and remote monitoring programs," she continued. "As remote monitoring scales and AI capabilities emerge, structured governance becomes essential. Clean, normalized datasets are foundational to both operational efficiency and responsible AI initiatives."
And third, select vendors with proven data migration and validation experience, she added.
"Successful transitions require more than APIs and interfaces," she said. "They require structured processes that clean, validate and migrate only clinically relevant data – reducing risk at go-live and beyond. The organizations that will be best positioned are those investing in true data readiness, not just connectivity."
The company's main message
Murj's big focus at HIMSS26 is "enterprise interoperability, operationalized."
"We believe interoperability must extend beyond data exchange to structured, governed workflows that support enterprise-scale cardiac device programs," Bricker explained. "In cardiac device management, health systems often are managing decades of legacy data across multiple manufacturers and feeder systems.
"Our focus is on helping organizations clean, normalize and operationalize that data so clinicians and IT teams can rely on it with confidence," she continued. "Connectivity is foundational – but execution is what delivers value."
Health systems do not need more pipes – they need accurate, usable data that supports care delivery, governance and long-term scalability, she concluded.
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Email him: bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.
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