In this episode of Tell Me Where IT Hurts, Dr. Jay Anders is joined by Jolie Ritzo, MPH, CEO of Civitas Networks for Health. Ritzo is a longtime leader in public health, policy, and interoperability. She brings a grounded perspective on why nationwide data exchange remains complex, where progress is occurring, and what it will take to earn trust at scale.
Ritzo shares her professional journey from rural Maine to national health policy leadership, shaped early by firsthand exposure to gaps in access, transportation, and preventive care. After beginning her career in education, she transitioned into public health and, eventually, into integrated care delivery, where access to accurate, real-time data was paramount. Her work in chronic care management, community partnerships, and regional health improvement laid the foundation for her current role as the leader of Civitas Networks for Health.
Civitas represents a national community of more than 160 organizations, including health information exchanges (HIEs), community information exchanges, all-payer claims databases, and quality improvement organizations. Ritzo explains that these entities serve as essential health infrastructure, connecting data across care settings and geographies to support better decisions related to cost, quality, safety, and upstream drivers of health. While improvement efforts often begin locally, Civitas works to scale what works, share lessons learned, and reduce the need for communities to start from scratch.
Their conversation explores the current interoperability landscape, including the role of Qualified Health Information Networks, state and regional exchanges, and emerging federal initiatives. Ritzo emphasizes that while national frameworks continue to evolve, local intermediaries remain critical to governance, data quality, and trust. As she notes, successful exchange requires more than technology alone, but also relationships, shared accountability, and clear rules of engagement.
Dr. Anders and Ritzo also discuss the growing use of AI and ambient data capture in healthcare, along with the risks that come with expanding data flows. Ritzo highlights the importance of HIEs in standardizing, cleaning, and governing data so it can be safely used for clinical decision support, analytics, and automation. She acknowledges that the industry remains in what many describe as the “messy middle,” with meaningful progress underway and more work ahead.
“Some of this is really not a matter of technology. It comes back to relationships and people sitting down together, rolling up their sleeves, and working through workflows.”
Jolie Ritzo, MPH
CEO of Civitas Networks for Health
The episode closes with a discussion of patient data portability, cost transparency, and the real-world consequences of fragmented information. Drawing on personal experience caring for a family member undergoing cancer treatment, Ritzo underscores how failures in communication across providers can quickly escalate into safety and financial concerns. Her vision centers on trust, collaboration, and practical progress that ultimately improves patient care and clinician confidence.
Show Notes
Among the topics covered:
- Jolie Ritzo’s path from rural public health to national interoperability leadership
- Civitas Networks for Health as a national nonprofit representing 160 community-based organizations
- Role of health information exchanges as core health infrastructure
- Balancing national interoperability frameworks with local governance and trust
- Data exchange challenges involving quality, duplication, and correction
- Importance of governance and oversight as AI adoption accelerates
- Patient data portability as an expectation across modern healthcare
- Federal momentum supporting interoperability, rural health, and modernization
- Magic wand wish: Addressing healthcare costs and price transparency
- And more…
Show Links
- Jolie Ritzo on LinkedIn
- Civitas Networks for Health
- Dr. Jay Anders on LinkedIn
- Medicomp Systems on LinkedIn
- Tell Me Where IT Hurts on Healthcare NOW Radio