Tuesday, 09 June 2026 09:00 AM
Company Update
Final criteria announced for v1.0 of the program that strengthens governance, risk management, and oversight for AI in healthcare
WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / June 9, 2026 / DirectTrust®, a non-profit healthcare industry alliance focused on furthering trust in healthcare technology and data exchange through standards, accreditation, and other services, today launched its Artificial Intelligence (AI) v1.0 Accreditation Program and recognized D.A.W. Systems and ZeOmega as the first organizations to achieve Foundational accreditation, and Inpriva as a Candidate for Comprehensive accreditation, following participation in the program's beta process. The final criteria are now publicly available, establishing structured requirements for organizations developing or deploying AI in healthcare, with an emphasis on governance, transparency, risk management, performance evaluation, and ongoing oversight.
The AI v1.0 Accreditation Program evolved from DirectTrust's AI v1.0-Beta program announced in September 2025 and is aligned exclusively with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) v1.0.
"AI cannot be implemented responsibly without clear governance and measurable oversight," said Lesley Berkeyheiser, Senior Director of Accreditation Strategy and Development at DirectTrust. "The AI v1.0 Accreditation Program provides organizations with a practical, scalable pathway to demonstrate accountable AI practices, whether they are establishing governance frameworks or managing AI systems already in production."
The program supports organizations that handle health or other sensitive data by establishing governance, policies, and procedures designed to address risk and strengthen trust in AI products, data, and systems. By achieving accreditation, organizations demonstrate their understanding of the risks associated with implementing AI, including threats associated with its design, development, and use, along with their commitment to maintaining a secure environment for data exchange.
The AI v1.0 Accreditation Program includes two accreditation levels: Foundational and Comprehensive. The Foundational level corresponds to NIST's "Govern" and "Map" components and is intended for organizations that have established AI governance policies and procedures but have not yet fully deployed AI systems into production. The Comprehensive level builds on the Foundational level and incorporates NIST's "Measure" and "Manage" components for organizations with AI systems implemented and operational.
The tiered structure offers a modular path to AI implementation aligned to organizational maturity. Organizations can begin with the Foundational level to establish governance and map their AI ecosystem, then progress to the Comprehensive level as their measurement, monitoring, and management capabilities mature.
As part of the program's beta process, participating organizations evaluated the criteria in real-world healthcare technology and data exchange environments. Participant feedback highlights how the AI v1.0 Accreditation Program can support internal governance, secure development practices, and responsible AI implementation:
"As a beta participant, we went from exploring AI to implementing it. DirectTrust's accreditation reports help demonstrate to customers and third parties that we've taken a leap forward in the AI world, but it's been methodical, prudent, and includes consideration of risks along with benefits to the company and our customers," said Adam Forman, CTO, D.A.W. Systems, Inc.
"We are leveraging the AI accreditation criteria to drive behavior change across the organization, enhance our formal secure software development lifecycle, and bolster internal governance standards," said Shaun Newton, Chief Security and Compliance Officer, ZeOmega.
"The healthcare industry has long relied on trust, accountability, and well-defined governance. As AI comes to permeate all facets of healthcare operations, responsibly managing its inherent risk becomes essential. We all need to commit to using AI thoughtfully and responsibly, and to have confidence in the tools we rely on. Programs like the AI Accreditation Program provide a useful structure for organizations to evaluate their own practices and engage in necessary conversations with customers, partners, and technology providers," said Don Jorgenson, CEO, Inpriva, Inc.
Organizations seeking AI accreditation through DirectTrust must also demonstrate compliance with established privacy, security, and cybersecurity controls. They may meet this requirement in one of three ways: through a valid DirectTrust Privacy and Security accreditation, through another DirectTrust accreditation program containing Privacy and Security, or through HITRUST® certification covering the same environment and including HIPAA Privacy, HIPAA Security, and HIPAA Breach scoping factors.
Visit the DirectTrust program criteria page to review the latest AI v1.0 criteria.
About DirectTrust®
DirectTrust® is a non-profit, vendor-neutral alliance dedicated to establishing trust in a connected world. The organization serves as a forum for a consensus-driven community focused on health communication and cybersecurity, an ANSI standards development organization, an accreditation and certification body governed by EHNAC, and a developer of technical trust frameworks and supportive services for secure information exchange like Direct Secure Messaging and identity-verified credentials.
The goal of DirectTrust is to develop, promote, and, as necessary, help enforce the rules and best practices necessary to maintain privacy, security, and trust for stakeholders across and beyond healthcare. In addition, DirectTrust is committed to fostering widespread public confidence in the interoperable exchange of health information while promoting quality service, innovation, cooperation, and open competition in healthcare. To learn more, visit: DirectTrust.org.
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Media contact:
Dave Anderson
andersoni.com
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SOURCE: DirectTrust