This Week’s ATA Brief: Telehealth Awareness Week, AI in Care, Policy Updates, and More

For leaders making digital integral to how care is accessed, delivered, and scaled.

Dear ATA Community,

Brian Cardillo
Senior Director, Marketing, ATA

Telehealth.org

Telehealth Regulations Are Evolving — Are You up to Speed?

As we lead up to Telehealth Awareness Week, ATA members are invited to join Telehealth.org on Friday, September 12 at 11:00 AM ET for a free, one-hour roundtable with legal and compliance experts covering federal and state policy updates, HIPAA changes, prescribing rules, licensure, and compliance risks. One CE/CME credit available for $29. Register for free »

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Why Johns Hopkins Hospital’s New CMIO Won’t Chase Tech ‘For Novelty’s Sake’

Dr. Khyzer Aziz, recently appointed as Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) at Johns Hopkins Hospital in August, is emphasizing a people-first approach to health IT, where technology serves as a compass rather than the star of the story. His initial focus is on clarifying governance, easing documentation burdens for frontline clinicians, and laying a thoughtful foundation for AI and precision medicine, prioritizing trust, clarity, and human judgment over flashy innovation. Read More »

Ochsner Health

Inside Ochsner Health’s 70-Person Epic Adoption Army

Ochsner Health has built a 70-person “Epic Academy,” dubbed a “sales team for tech,” which supports clinicians across its 47-hospital system in using and adopting Epic tools. Each clinician is paired with an Academy specialist, a regionally based, trusted colleague who provides weekly touchpoints, troubleshoots issues, and helps implement new technologies like AI scribes, driving change management, physician satisfaction, and ROI. Read More »

Telehealth Awareness Week is just around the corner, from September 14–20, 2025! Don’t miss out on a full week of enriching online events spotlighting the power of virtual care. Reserve your spot today.

ATA Virtual Event Lineup

• ATA Member Townhall – Member Only

• How AI Can Enhance Care for Older Adults

• Virtual Foodcare: Ideas into Action

• The Digital Infrastructure Score: ZIP-code Level Index to Optimize Patient Care

• CODE Roundtable: A Data-Driven AI Strategy

• Providing Mental Health Care to Adolescents and Teens

• CODE - Multi-System Analysis: Operational Medicare Telehealth Utilization Patterns

• Specialty Telemedicine Care: Rural vs. Urban Insights

• Realizing the Value of Prescription Digital Therapeutics

• ATA Policy Town Hall: Telehealth Flexibilities & Priorities

Join an exclusive group of healthcare leaders shaping digitally integrated care at the ATA Insights Summit, November 16–18 in Orlando, FL.

This isn’t a conference, it’s three days of hands-on, interactive Strategy Labs where you’ll collaborate directly with peers and industry experts to build actionable frameworks, benchmarks, and tools you can take back to your organization.

Including experts from. 

Featured Strategy Labs:

• Reengineering the Inpatient Experience – almost sold out

• Operationalizing Remote Patient Management

• Expanding Access to Subspecialty Pediatric Care

• Smart Maternity Command Models

Your experience includes:
 Three nights of accommodations
 All working meals + evening receptions
 Access to post-summit deliverables & virtual follow-up

Apply now – attendance is capped to ensure deep, peer-to-peer collaboration.

Note: Opportunities available for solution providers, tech platforms, pharma, and DTx partners via underwriting.

FEDERAL POLICY UPDATES

DEA News: Remote Prescribing of Controlled Substances Intelligence 

Last week, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released its Spring Unified Agenda, including a timeline for final action on the Special Registration for Telemedicine rule set for December. Shortly after, information from a reliable source indicated that the DEA has already drafted an extension to allow telehealth access beyond the current year-end deadline. According to this source, a final rule is not expected this year. The anticipated DEA extension may last until the end of 2026. If true, this would be a significant win for ATA Action and our members, as it would help preserve uninterrupted care for patients across the country and provide much-needed clarity for providers. 

While encouraging, until the DEA officially publishes the extension, nothing is guaranteed. We keep pushing for swift and transparent action to protect access to telemedicine and are continuing close collaboration with the Trump administration and DEA on what a permanent, workable regulatory framework for remote prescribing of controlled substances should look like, including improvements to make it truly functional. 

The Latest in Congress

With the Senate and House back from recess, Congress now faces a tight deadline to reach a short-term funding agreement before government funding runs out on September 30. A short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) remains the most likely path for extending critical health programs, such as Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home program. Importantly, it is not a shutdown itself that would cause these programs to lapse, but rather the absence of a funding bill, the most viable legislative vehicle to advance extensions on time. Without a CR or comparable legislative vehicle, these authorities would expire at the end of September, and there are unlikely to be alternative bills moving quickly enough to prevent disruption. We are working tirelessly to keep these issues top of mind on Capitol Hill and to ensure lawmakers understand the real-world impact that failure to act would have on patient care.

ATA Action Meeting with HHS Deputy Secretary O’Neill and Staff 

Last week, ATA Action and several of its Advocacy Council members met with HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and a few HHS/CMS staffers to discuss our top priorities, including Medicare telehealth flexibilities, remote monitoring, Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP), box 32, remote prescribing of controlled substances, prescription digital therapeutics, and virtual food care. During the meeting, the Deputy Secretary noted his strong support for telehealth and virtual care. We are providing a comprehensive follow-up and will maintain a close relationship with his staff.  

ATA Action Participating in Off-the-Record HHS Global Roundtable 

Next Friday, Kyle Zebley will be participating in an off-the-record roundtable hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which will focus on global health policy. This closed-door meeting, including senior HHS officials and other experts in global health and government, presents an important opportunity for ATA Action to represent telehealth priorities within the context of broader global health policy. We will share any key, non-confidential takeaways with members as appropriate following the meeting. 

Virtual Foodcare Coalition Meeting with HHS CMMI 

ATA Action and several members of our Virtual Foodcare Coalition recently met with HHS and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), including the Innovation Center's Chief Medical Officer, to discuss our proposed Virtual Foodcare CMMI Demonstration Project. 

Rural Health Transformation Program

The Rural Health Transformation Program will supply $50 billion over five years to stabilize and strengthen rural hospitals and providers. Many of the fund’s allowable activities align well with ATA and ATA Action priorities. So far we have completed surveys or RFIs in more than 10 states using a form letter to encourage state governments to include telehealth, digital therapeutics, virtual foodcare and other ATA member priorities in their proposals. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will open applications for the RHTP in mid-September, followed by introductory webinars and a full month for states to submit questions before the early November application deadline. For more information, visit the Rural Health Transformation Program website. 

State Policy Updates

• California AI Bill (SB 503) Amended at the Eleventh Hour. The bill, which institutes new requirements to mitigate bias in use of AI in healthcare, was amended to remove the requirement for developers to undertake a third-party audit – a provision that ATA Action had expressed significant concerns Instead, the bill now requires developers to self-report their compliance with duties to identify and mitigate bias. We expect the bill to pass the Assembly Floor.
• Colorado Special Session Extends Implementation Date of AI Legislation to June 30, 2026 (from February 1, 2026). Since the framework (SB4) passed into law in 2024, there have been significant concerns raised (including from ATA Action) that the requirements are unworkable and will stifle AI development. We anticipate the Legislature will continue discussing the issue when they convene next session.
• Massachusetts Expected to Address Privacy Bills. Earlier this week S250 – a consumer health data bill – was heard in the Consumer Protection Committee and the Senate is reportedly working on a comprehensive draft data privacy bill. Given that the Legislature already passed a reproductive health data bill this year, we are hearing that a comprehensive approach might be more likely than another consumer health data bill
• Rule Makings of Potential Interest:
  • The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs issued a pharmacy rulemaking, including provisions regarding pharmacists prescribing via telehealth. A public hearing on this rule will be held on September 10.
  • In Texas, the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners proposed a rule regarding standardizing formats for, and retention of records related to a patient's consent to treatment, data collection, and data sharing when providing physical therapy services via telehealth. This is the first Board to issue a rulemaking implementing HB 1700 which passed earlier this year.

November 16-18, 2025 | Orlando, FL
ATA Insights Summit
This ATA Insights Summit brings together healthcare executives to co-create implementation frameworks, operational tools, and strategic blueprints for digital transformation. Each focus area is shaped by collaborative sessions with clinical, operational, and digital leaders. Learn More and Apply »

December 10-12, 2025 | Washington, DC
ATA EDGE Policy Conference
The place where digital policy meets care model transformation.
Shape care reimbursement, licensing, and workforce policy, alongside the systems and stakeholders defining what comes next. Learn More »

May 12-15, 2026 | Orlando, FL
NEXUS 2026
The premier event dedicated to advancing innovation in digital health and care delivery. Bringing together experts, clinicians, C-suite leaders, researchers and investors, Nexus fosters collaboration, explores innovation, and provides tools to drive meaningful change. 

• Apply to Speak at NEXUS 
• Share Your Research at NEXUS