Availity CEO Russ Thomas Appointed to Federal Healthcare Advisory Committee

JACKSONVILLE, FL – March 27, 2026 – Availity, the nation’s largest real-time health information network, today announced that CEO Russ Thomas has been appointed to serve on an HHS/CMS federal healthcare advisory committee focused on advancing practical, outcomes-driven recommendations to improve the performance and reliability of U.S. healthcare programs.

Thomas will serve in a nonpartisan, advisory capacity, bringing an operator’s perspective on administrative simplification, real-time information flow, and continuity of healthcare operations – areas that directly affect patients, providers, health plans, and the broader healthcare system.

“Healthcare works best when practical expertise is brought to the table,” said Thomas. “I’m honored to contribute in an advisory role and focus on pragmatic improvements that reduce administrative friction, increase transparency, and help ensure healthcare operations remain resilient and reliable.”

Thomas has spent his career helping healthcare organizations reduce complexity and improve how information moves across the system. As CEO of Availity, he leads one of the nation’s most widely used platforms for exchanging healthcare data and supporting the workflows that enable care delivery and payment.

Availity is the nation’s largest real-time health information network, supporting connections to more than 3.4 million providers and direct connectivity to more than 95% of payers. The company helps the industry exchange information and process more than 14 billion electronic healthcare transactions each year—supporting more timely decisions, fewer manual touches, and more dependable healthcare operations.

About Availity

Availity empowers payers and providers to deliver transformative patient experiences by enabling the seamless exchange of clinical, administrative, and financial information. As the nation’s largest real-time health information network, Availity develops intelligent, automated, and interoperable solutions that foster collaboration and shared value across the healthcare ecosystem. With connections to over 95% of payers, more than 3 million providers, and over 2,000 trading partners, Availity provides mission-critical connectivity to drive the future of healthcare innovation. For more information, including an online demonstration, please visit www.availity.com or call 1.800.AVAILITY (282.4548). Follow us on LinkedIn.

Media Contact

Megan Smith
Availity
Sr. Public Relations Manager
[email protected]