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Free global program gives students hands-on experience building FHIR applications and earning HL7 credentials

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With demand for healthcare interoperability expertise growing worldwide, Health Level Seven International (HL7®), the global authority on healthcare interoperability standards, today announced the launch of Break the Code, a free, global workforce development initiative that equips university students with practical experience building healthcare applications with HL7® Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®).

Presented in partnership with the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), Break the Code will help students develop the practical skills needed to turn healthcare policy and interoperability standards into working technology. Across two semesters beginning in October, students will build FHIR applications, learn directly from industry experts and earn official HL7 credentials based on demonstrated competencies.

A recent workforce analysis conducted by HL7 estimates that the global healthcare ecosystem could need more than 1 million additional skilled workers in FHIR over the next five years, creating an urgent need to introduce more students to interoperability skills and careers.

“Healthcare has made enormous progress building the standards and infrastructure for a more connected future. Now we need to build the workforce that can put them to work,” said HL7 CEO Professor Rachel Dunscombe. “Break the Code gives students an opportunity to develop practical interoperability skills while they are still in school and see how those skills translate into meaningful careers across healthcare. Building that talent pipeline is essential if we want innovation in AI, digital health and connected care to scale globally.”

Early momentum for the program has been substantial, with more than 45 academic programs already committed to the inaugural cohort from across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Through Break the Code, students will:

• Build a foundational SMART on FHIR application during the fall semester while learning how healthcare policies and standards translate into technical requirements.
• Apply FHIR to responsible AI during the spring semester, exploring considerations including transparency and data quality.
• Learn directly from industry experts through microlearning modules, expert sessions, and guided building checkpoints.
• Create portfolio-ready work and earn HL7 credentials recognizing demonstrated interoperability skills.

“Break the Code is designed to bridge the gap between understanding interoperability in theory and being able to apply it,” said Daniel Bach, EdM, HL7 Contributor Experience Lead. “Students will work through the same kinds of challenges implementers encounter in the real world and leave with something tangible that demonstrates what they can do.”

Designed to complement existing academic curricula, the program requires approximately three to four hours of participation per month and includes microlearning modules, sessions with industry experts and guided building checkpoints. Students who successfully complete program requirements can publish their applications on GitHub and earn HL7 credentials that recognize their skills.

The inaugural Break the Code cohort begins in October. For more information, visit HL7 Break the Code.

About Health Level Seven International (HL7)
Health Level Seven® International (HL7) is an ANSI-accredited, not-for-profit standards developing organization with the mission of empowering global health interoperability. With affiliates in more than 30 countries, HL7’s global membership envisions a world in which every individual has secure, timely and appropriate access to accurate health information, empowering them, their care teams and communities to make informed decisions anytime, anywhere. Widely implemented by vendor and health care systems, and required by governing bodies around the world, HL7 standards deliver solutions for health information technology, including HL7® Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®), Version 2 (V2) and Clinical Document Architecture (CDA®). For more information, visit www.HL7.org.

CONTACT: Media Contact:
Andrea Ribick
andrea@HL7.org
734-677-7777