DrFirst Mourns the Loss of Thomas E. Sullivan, M.D.

Dedicated Cardiologist and Health Tech Visionary 

It is with profound sadness that we mark the passing of Thomas E. Sullivan, M.D., on Monday, January 19.  

Tom was a cornerstone of DrFirst for over 20 years, serving as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Privacy Officer from 2004 to 2022, and later as a Senior Advisor, Clinical Innovation & Vendor Strategy until his passing. 

Known as the “Father of the Continuity of Care Record (CCR),” Tom was the chief architect of the CCR (ASTM standard). This work established the framework for Meaningful Use clinical summaries and interoperability that remains relevant today.  

As President of the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) and Publisher of the New England Journal of Medicine from 2003 to 2004, Tom led the MMS to become one of the first state medical societies to endorse e-prescribing. His service to the American Medical Association also included serving as a founding chair of the AMA e-Medicine Advisory Committee and past Chair of the AMA Council on Medical Service. He remained active in professional leadership throughout his life, serving as the Vice Chair of the Committee on Senior Physicians at MMS in 2023. 

“Tom was also a trusted colleague and a dear friend,” said James Chen, DrFirst Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board. “He led with integrity, intellectual rigor, and an unwavering commitment to patient benefit over business convenience. Beyond DrFirst, he was one of the rare leaders who could bridge clinical practice, policy, and technology in a way that genuinely moved healthcare forward. From establishing the CCR to advancing e-prescribing, interoperability, and controlled substance e-prescribing, his influence is woven into the fabric of modern healthcare. We are profoundly grateful for his leadership, his trust, and his friendship. His legacy will continue to guide our work and our values for years to come.” 

Tom’s vision and influence shaped the growth of DrFirst in many ways, such as: 

• Under his leadership in 2003, the MMS became one of the first state medical societies to endorse e-prescribing. In addition, the organization was the first state medical society to endorse an e-prescribing platform, announcing a program offering the DrFirst platform to its members at a special rate to encourage adoption of this emerging technology to improve “patient safety, accuracy, efficiency, convenience, and the quality of information at the point of care.” 

• He arranged for DrFirst to be the first to contract with both vendors of prescription routing and payer data, establishing the pattern of dual-network connectivity that became the industry norm.  

• His influence also contributed to DrFirst developing EPCS technology. Working with the Massachusetts Department of Health under a waiver from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, DrFirst introduced the first controlled substance e-prescribing solution in the country in 2011.  

What made these and other accomplishments possible was Tom’s exceptional ability to translate complex technological concepts into practical, physician-friendly solutions. With his 35+ years as a board-certified cardiologist, he understood both the promise and the practicalities of healthcare technology firsthand. 

Tom’s legacy lives in every prescription routed through our network, every care transition our technology supports, and the industry standards he helped establish. We are grateful for his vision, his partnership, and his lifelong dedication to improving healthcare. 

Our deepest condolences to Tom’s family, friends, and all who knew him. We will miss him dearly. 

To learn more about Tom’s impact on the medical profession and health IT:  

• AMA Member Profile: Thomas E. Sullivan (2023) 

• Medical Economics Journal contributed article, Improve Medication Adherence with Technology (2020) 

• MMS Past Presidents Oral History Series (2019) 

• DrFirst Congratulates Thomas E. Sullivan on his Lifetime Achievement Award (2011)  

• DrFirst Blog: A Few Thoughts About Meaningful Use: An Interview with Thomas Sullivan, MD (2010)