HealthTree Foundation Joins CMS "Kill the Clipboard" Initiative and Conversational AI Assistance Efforts to Empower Cancer Patients

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthTree Foundation, the leading patient-driven platform for blood cancer education, support, and research acceleration, today announced its inclusion in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Tech Ecosystem, specifically supporting the "Kill the Clipboard" initiative and advancing Conversational AI assistance for patients.

The CMS "Kill the Clipboard" initiative, launched in 2025, aims to eliminate outdated paper-based intake forms and fragmented data collection by enabling secure, seamless digital sharing of health records using FHIR standards, QR codes, Smart Health Cards/Links, and other modern tools. This reduces administrative burden on patients - many of whom face repeated manual entry of medical histories, medications, and details during care encounters.

HealthTree Foundation's approval reflects its dedication to leveraging technology to empower patients with blood cancers. Through its comprehensive patient registry and data platform, HealthTree has already been working to consolidate patient health information, enabling more seamless care coordination between cancer patients and their healthcare teams.

In parallel, HealthTree supports the CMS focus on Conversational AI Assistants, building on its existing AI-powered tool, Leif. Leif provides real-time, personalized guidance—helping patients understand symptoms, explore treatment options, find clinical trials, manage side effects, and connect with specialists. This aligns with CMS goals for AI tools that securely access relevant health data (with patient consent) to deliver context-aware, helpful assistance.

"We are honored to be approved for the CMS Kill the Clipboard and Conversational AI initiatives," said Jenny Ahlstrom, CEO. "Today, a cancer patient's data is fragmented across multiple hospitals. When providers have access to the complete patient story, both care and shared decision-making are dramatically improved. This approval validates our work to create a centralized and complete patient health record that puts patients in the driver's seat of their own health data, which opens new doors for personalized patient support services like Leif, and fundamentally transforms how care is delivered."

HealthTree joins other early adopters and pledging organizations in the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem, contributing to a broader push for interoperability, patient-centered innovation, and reduced administrative waste in healthcare.

For more information about HealthTree Foundation, visit healthtree.org. To learn about the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem and "Kill the Clipboard" initiative, visit cms.gov/health-tech-ecosystem.

About HealthTree Foundation
HealthTree Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating a cure for blood cancer patients through research, education, and community support. The organization provides free resources, including patient education, disease navigation tools, and a comprehensive disease registry to empower patients and advance research. For more information, visit healthtree.org.

SOURCE HealthTree Foundation