Mel Soliz Examines Whether New TEFCA Oversight Will Deliver Meaningful Network Accountability in Healthcare Innovation

Partner Mel Soliz recently spoke with Healthcare Innovation about new federal oversight measures for the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), including the appointment of a third-party contractor to provide audit, review, and compliance support. In the interview, Mel discussed whether the new oversight structure will provide the independent verification needed to strengthen trust in nationwide health information exchange, protect health care providers that supply data to the networks, and identify potential fraud, information blocking, or other noncompliance. Information emerging since the interview suggests that ONC is pursuing a two-phased approach with this contractor. The first phase will involve retrospective audits and compliance reviews, and the second phase will involve more ongoing monitoring, with the contractor involved in the onboarding process for new entrants. Mel’s practice focuses...

Read MoreRead More

Mel Soliz Presents on Health Data Compliance & Law Enforcement Record Requests at AzHIMA Annual Meeting

Partner Mel Soliz recently presented two sessions at the 2026 AzHIMA Annual Meeting, addressing practical compliance challenges for health information management professionals. In the first session, “From Regulation to Workflow: Operationalizing Compliance for Sensitive Health Data,” Mel discussed how organizations can translate HIPAA, Arizona-sensitive health data laws, 42 CFR Part 2, and other federal and state privacy requirements into workable operational processes. The presentation focused on practical issues such as data classification, consent management, role-based access, disclosure review, audit controls, breach response, and vendor contracting. Mel also presented “When the Government Knocks: Responding to Law Enforcement Record Requests,” which addressed how health care organizations should evaluate law enforcement requests for patient records. The session covered HIPAA’s law enforcement disclosure framework, Arizona-specific subpoena and mandatory reporting requirements, identity...

Read MoreRead More

Mel Soliz Discusses Latest Developments in Interoperability Litigation on AHLA Podcast

Partner Mel Soliz recently joined the American Health Law Association’s Speaking of Health Law podcast for an episode examining the latest developments in interoperability litigation and what emerging disputes may mean for the health care industry. In this episode, Mel spoke with Brendan Keeler, Interoperability Practice Lead at HTD Health, and Amy Bagge-Smith, General Counsel and Head of Regulatory Affairs at Arcadia, about cases currently shaping interoperability law, including how courts and industry stakeholders are responding to disputes involving health data access, privacy, national exchange frameworks, and CMS’ Aligned Networks initiative. The discussion builds on Mel’s work advising health care organizations, networks/exchanges, technology companies, and data platforms on privacy, interoperability, governance, contracting, and litigation risk across the evolving health data exchange ecosystem. Mel and her team lead a...

Read MoreRead More

Mel Soliz Presents on Information Blocking Enforcement for The Sequoia Project

Partner Mel Soliz recently participated in The Sequoia Project’s webinar, “Information Blocking in the Age of Enforcement,” hosted through its Interoperability Matters Information Sharing Workgroup. The webinar focused on the evolving information blocking enforcement landscape, including industry readiness, federal enforcement resources, state-level information sharing developments, and emerging litigation trends. Mel presented on recent litigation involving information blocking concepts, including disputes over access restrictions, competition and market-power issues, network trust and downstream use of health data, and the technical functionality of health data integrations. Mel’s presentation highlighted how information blocking is moving beyond regulatory compliance and into business disputes, state enforcement actions, and anti-competition claims. She also discussed the practical importance of documenting decisions to restrict, condition, or suspend access based on privacy, security, technical, contractual, patient-safety, or...

Read MoreRead More

Mel Soliz Presents to Arizona Medical Association on Health Information Exchange Participation & Risk

Partner Mel Soliz recently spoke at the Arizona Medical Association’s 2026 Annual Meeting on the legal and operational issues physicians should understand when participating in health information networks and health information exchanges. In her presentation, “Connected Care, Shared Risk: What Physicians Need to Know About Health Information Network and Exchange Participation,” Mel provided a practical overview of major national exchange frameworks and networks, including the DURSA, CommonWell, Carequality, TEFCA, CMS Aligned Networks, and community-based HIEs, as well as the rights, obligations, and risks health care providers face when connecting to these frameworks. Mel’s practice focuses on health technology, interoperability, complex data-sharing arrangements, AI governance, SaaS contracting, and state and federal privacy compliance. She regularly advises clients operating at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and health care delivery. Learn...

Read MoreRead More

Ben Runkle & Mel Soliz Present State Bar Health Care Law Update to Arizona Attorneys

Ben Runkle and Mel Soliz recently presented “Recent Updates in Health Care Law: What Arizona Lawyers Need to Know” to the State Bar of Arizona. They discussed several fast-moving legal and regulatory developments affecting health care providers, payers, technology companies, and the attorneys who advise them. Topics included public health policy shifts, Medicaid and AHCCCS developments, health data privacy and interoperability, artificial intelligence in health care, fraud and abuse enforcement, and nondiscrimination requirements. The program highlighted how these developments are creating new compliance, contracting, governance, operational, and litigation risks for health care organizations. Ben addressed key developments in Medicaid, fraud and abuse, the False Claims Act, and other health care regulatory issues, while Mel focused on health data privacy, interoperability, artificial intelligence, and nondiscrimination in digital...

Read MoreRead More