Governed for perpetual independence and neutrality.
The reason healthcare’s data ended up captured is that no one designed the structure to prevent it. This network is built with that lesson absorbed at the foundation: separate the powers, put the obligation to patients, and make neutrality a property of the architecture, not a promise.
Four bodies, separated by design.
Three questions worth asking of any shared infrastructure.
Who does the obligation run to?
Patients. The Smart Health Data Trust holds fiduciary duty directly to individuals — not to the operator, not to payers, not to providers.
Can it be captured?
No. Constitutional separation of power, with reserved powers separated by design. No ordinary acquisition path can override the mission lock, patient rights, or neutrality covenants.
Does the price tend toward the lowest sustainable cost?
Yes. SHN PBC operates the rails as a utility at minimum sustainable cost. Fees applied equally to all participants. Surplus is reinvested, not extracted. Investor returns are capped, so no one profits from raising the fee.
These are not promises. They are architecture. Promises can be renegotiated. Architecture is what is left when promises run out.
Governance inquiries
Questions about the Council, Trust, or Foundation: governance@smarthealthnetwork.org.