CMS Invites Participation in HQR FHIR Testing at September 2026 HL7 FHIR Connectathon

CMS invites hospitals and health systems, EHR and health IT vendors, quality reporting vendors, FHIR implementers, and other interested organizations to participate in the HQR End-to-End Submission testing track at the upcoming HL7 FHIR Connectathon, taking place in person September 19–20, 2026, in Rockville, MD.

What's Being Tested?

The draft CMS HQR Program Implementation Guide and an end-to-end FHIR submission workflow, including submission of patient-level data to HQR, HQR processing, and submission status/results retrieval. The draft IG builds on established HL7 FHIR quality reporting standards, including DEQM STU 5. This work supports CMS’s broader transition toward FHIR-based digital quality reporting.

This track is specifically testing the CMS HQR program workflow, with DEQM STU 5 serving as the underlying exchange foundation. Participants will see how quality data actually moves through the HQR program itself, not just the underlying exchange pattern.

Why Participate?

• Provide implementation feedback to help inform continued development and testing of the draft HQR Implementation Guide.
• Test the draft approach early and help CMS identify implementation challenges while the HQR Program IG is still being developed.
• This is an opportunity to test the approach with real-world systems and workflows while the HQR Program IG is still in draft.

Bring your expertise to the table — engage with the HQR track at the September HL7 FHIR Connectathon.

Note: The HQR Implementation Guide is a draft being tested for technical feasibility at the Connectathon. It does not represent a proposed or finalized CMS requirement.

Key Details

• Event: September HL7 FHIR Connectathon — HQR Track
• Dates: September 19–20, 2026, in Rockville, MD.
• Participation Format: In person
• Registration Link: HL7 FHIR Connectathon Registration

Primary Contacts:

• Bridget Calvert, CMS Sponsor | bridget.calvert1@cms.hhs.gov
• Bill Lakenan, Bellese Technologies | blakenan@bellese.io
• Laura Clark, MITRE | laclark@mitre.org
• Karrie Schwencer, Bellese Technologies | kschwencer@bellese.io

If you are interested in participating, or if you have questions about the scenarios and what system role(s) might be most relevant, please reach out to one of the track leads. We'd love to connect with you.