diff --git a/query-connector/src/app/api/query/error-handling-service.ts b/query-connector/src/app/api/query/error-handling-service.ts
index 7d6d30952..634b60c75 100644
--- a/query-connector/src/app/api/query/error-handling-service.ts
+++ b/query-connector/src/app/api/query/error-handling-service.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { OperationOutcome } from "fhir/r4";
+import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
 
 /**
  * Handles a request error by returning an OperationOutcome with a diagnostics message.
@@ -21,3 +22,20 @@ export async function handleRequestError(
   };
   return OperationOutcome;
 }
+
+export async function handleAndReturnError(error: unknown, status = 500) {
+  let diagnostics_message = "An error has occurred";
+
+  let OperationOutcome;
+  if (typeof error === "string") {
+    diagnostics_message = `${diagnostics_message}: ${error}`;
+    OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(error as string);
+  } else {
+    if (error instanceof Error) {
+      diagnostics_message = `${diagnostics_message}: ${error}`;
+    }
+    OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(diagnostics_message);
+  }
+  console.error(error);
+  return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome, { status: status });
+}
diff --git a/query-connector/src/app/api/query/hl7v2/route.ts b/query-connector/src/app/api/query/hl7v2/route.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 7f6734bf0..000000000
--- a/query-connector/src/app/api/query/hl7v2/route.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,81 +0,0 @@
-import {
-  MISSING_API_QUERY_PARAM,
-  INVALID_FHIR_SERVERS,
-  MISSING_PATIENT_IDENTIFIERS,
-  INVALID_QUERY,
-} from "@/app/shared/constants";
-import { getFhirServerNames } from "@/app/shared/database-service";
-import {
-  QueryResponse,
-  APIQueryResponse,
-  createBundle,
-  makeFhirQuery,
-  QueryRequest,
-} from "@/app/shared/query-service";
-import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
-import { handleRequestError } from "../error-handling-service";
-import { getSavedQueryById } from "@/app/backend/query-building";
-import { Message } from "node-hl7-client";
-
-/**
- * Runs a query for a given use case and FHIR server. Patient demographics are provided
- * in the request body as a raw text HL7v2 message. The use_case and fhir_server are
- * provided
- * @param request - The incoming Next.js request object.
- * @returns Response with UseCaseResponse.
- */
-export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
-  // Extract use_case and fhir_server from nextUrl
-  const params = request.nextUrl.searchParams;
-  const id = params.get("id");
-  const fhir_server = params.get("fhir_server");
-  const fhirServers = await getFhirServerNames();
-
-  if (!id || !fhir_server) {
-    const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(MISSING_API_QUERY_PARAM);
-    return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome);
-  } else if (!Object.values(fhirServers).includes(fhir_server)) {
-    const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(INVALID_FHIR_SERVERS);
-    return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome);
-  }
-
-  // Lookup default parameters for particular use-case search
-  const queryResults = await getSavedQueryById(id);
-
-  if (queryResults === undefined) {
-    const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(INVALID_QUERY);
-    return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome, {
-      status: 500,
-    });
-  }
-
-  const rawMessage = await request.text();
-  const parsedMessage = new Message({ text: rawMessage });
-
-  // Add params & patient identifiers to QueryRequest
-  const queryRequest: QueryRequest = {
-    query_name: queryResults?.query_name,
-    fhir_server: fhir_server,
-    first_name: parsedMessage.get("PID.5.2").toString() || "",
-    last_name: parsedMessage.get("PID.5.1").toString() || "",
-    dob: parsedMessage.get("PID.7.1").toString() || "",
-  };
-
-  if (
-    !queryRequest.first_name &&
-    !queryRequest.last_name &&
-    !queryRequest.dob
-  ) {
-    const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(
-      MISSING_PATIENT_IDENTIFIERS,
-    );
-    return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome, { status: 400 });
-  }
-
-  const UseCaseQueryResponse: QueryResponse = await makeFhirQuery(queryRequest);
-
-  // Bundle data
-  const bundle: APIQueryResponse = await createBundle(UseCaseQueryResponse);
-
-  return NextResponse.json(bundle);
-}
diff --git a/query-connector/src/app/api/query/fhir/parsers.ts b/query-connector/src/app/api/query/parsers.ts
similarity index 72%
rename from query-connector/src/app/api/query/fhir/parsers.ts
rename to query-connector/src/app/api/query/parsers.ts
index 526d4d668..a7891a61c 100644
--- a/query-connector/src/app/api/query/fhir/parsers.ts
+++ b/query-connector/src/app/api/query/parsers.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import { Patient } from "fhir/r4";
 import { FormatPhoneAsDigits } from "@/app/shared/format-service";
+import { USE_CASES, USE_CASE_DETAILS } from "@/app/shared/constants";
 
 export type PatientIdentifiers = {
   first_name?: string;
@@ -69,12 +70,13 @@ export async function parseMRNs(
   patient: Patient,
 ): Promise<(string | undefined)[] | undefined> {
   if (patient.identifier) {
-    const mrnIdentifiers = patient.identifier.filter((id) =>
-      id.type?.coding?.some(
-        (coding) =>
-          coding.system === "http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v2-0203" &&
-          coding.code === "MR",
-      ),
+    const mrnIdentifiers = patient.identifier.filter(
+      (id) =>
+        id.type?.coding?.some(
+          (coding) =>
+            coding.system === "http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v2-0203" &&
+            coding.code === "MR",
+        ),
     );
     return mrnIdentifiers.map((id) => id.value);
   }
@@ -99,3 +101,25 @@ export async function parsePhoneNumbers(
     return phoneNumbers.map((contactPoint) => contactPoint.value);
   }
 }
+
+export function parseHL7FromRequestBody(requestText: string) {
+  let result = requestText;
+
+  // strip the leading { / closing } if they exist
+  if (requestText[0] === "{" || requestText[requestText.length - 1] === "}") {
+    const leadingClosingBraceRegex = /\{([\s\S]*)\}/;
+    const requestMatch = requestText.match(leadingClosingBraceRegex);
+    if (requestMatch) {
+      console.log(requestMatch[1]);
+      result = requestMatch[1].trim();
+    }
+  }
+  return result;
+}
+
+export function mapDeprecatedUseCaseToId(use_case: string | null) {
+  if (use_case === null) return null;
+  const potentialUseCaseMatch = USE_CASE_DETAILS[use_case as USE_CASES];
+  const queryId = potentialUseCaseMatch?.id ?? null;
+  return queryId;
+}
diff --git a/query-connector/src/app/api/query/route.ts b/query-connector/src/app/api/query/route.ts
index 8dbd63c8d..eda65ccd3 100644
--- a/query-connector/src/app/api/query/route.ts
+++ b/query-connector/src/app/api/query/route.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
-import { handleRequestError } from "./error-handling-service";
+import {
+  handleAndReturnError,
+  handleRequestError,
+} from "./error-handling-service";
 import {
   makeFhirQuery,
   QueryRequest,
@@ -16,9 +19,16 @@ import {
   INVALID_QUERY,
   USE_CASE_DETAILS,
   USE_CASES,
+  INVALID_MESSAGE_FORMAT,
+  HL7_BODY_MISFORMAT,
 } from "@/app/shared/constants";
 import { getFhirServerNames } from "@/app/shared/database-service";
-import { parsePatientDemographics } from "./fhir/parsers";
+import {
+  mapDeprecatedUseCaseToId,
+  parseHL7FromRequestBody,
+  parsePatientDemographics,
+} from "./parsers";
+import { Message } from "node-hl7-client";
 
 /**
  * @swagger
@@ -154,7 +164,7 @@ export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
  * @swagger
  * /api/query:
  *   post:
- *     description: A POST endpoint that accepts a FHIR patient resource in the request body to execute a query within the Query Connector
+ *     description: A POST endpoint that accepts a FHIR patient resource or an HL7v2 message in the request body to execute a query within the Query Connector
  *     parameters:
  *       - name: fhir_server
  *         in: query
@@ -170,6 +180,13 @@ export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
  *         schema:
  *           type: string
  *           example: cf580d8d-cc7b-4eae-8a0d-96c36f9222e3
+ *       - name: message_format
+ *         in: query
+ *         description: Whether the request body contents are HL7 or FHIR formatted messages
+ *         schema:
+ *           type: string
+ *           enum: [HL7, FHIR]
+ *           example: FHIR
  *     requestBody:
  *       required: true
  *       content:
@@ -187,28 +204,6 @@ export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
  * @returns Response with QueryResponse.
  */
 export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
-  let requestBody;
-
-  try {
-    requestBody = await request.json();
-
-    // Check if requestBody is a patient resource
-    if (requestBody.resourceType !== "Patient") {
-      const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(
-        RESPONSE_BODY_IS_NOT_PATIENT_RESOURCE,
-      );
-      return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome);
-    }
-  } catch (error: unknown) {
-    let diagnostics_message = "An error occurred.";
-    console.error(error);
-    if (error instanceof Error) {
-      diagnostics_message = `${error.message}`;
-    }
-    const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(diagnostics_message);
-    return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome, { status: 500 });
-  }
-
   // Extract id and fhir_server from nextUrl
   const params = request.nextUrl.searchParams;
   //deprecated, prefer id
@@ -219,57 +214,84 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
 
   const id = id_param ? id_param : mapDeprecatedUseCaseToId(use_case_param);
 
-  if (!id || !fhir_server || !requestBody) {
-    const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(MISSING_API_QUERY_PARAM);
-    return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome, {
-      status: 500,
-    });
+  if (!id || !fhir_server) {
+    return await handleAndReturnError(MISSING_API_QUERY_PARAM);
   } else if (!Object.values(fhirServers).includes(fhir_server)) {
-    const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(INVALID_FHIR_SERVERS);
-    return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome, {
-      status: 500,
-    });
+    return await handleAndReturnError(INVALID_FHIR_SERVERS);
   }
 
   const queryResults = await getSavedQueryById(id);
-
   if (queryResults === undefined) {
-    const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(INVALID_QUERY);
-    return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome, {
-      status: 500,
-    });
+    return handleAndReturnError(INVALID_QUERY);
   }
 
-  // try getting params straight from requestBody
-  const given = requestBody["given"];
-  const family = requestBody["family"];
-  const dob = requestBody["dob"];
-  const mrn = requestBody["mrn"];
-  const phone = requestBody["phone"];
-  const noParamsDefined = [given, family, dob, mrn, phone].every(
-    (e) => e === undefined,
-  );
+  // check message format of body, default to FHIR
+  const messageFormat = params.get("message_format") ?? "FHIR";
+  if (messageFormat !== "FHIR" && messageFormat !== "HL7") {
+    return await handleAndReturnError(INVALID_MESSAGE_FORMAT);
+  }
 
-  // Parse patient identifiers from a potential FHIR resource
-  const PatientIdentifiers = await parsePatientDemographics(requestBody);
+  let QueryRequest: QueryRequest;
+  if (messageFormat === "HL7") {
+    try {
+      let requestText = await request.text();
 
-  if (Object.keys(PatientIdentifiers).length === 0 && noParamsDefined) {
-    const OperationOutcome = await handleRequestError(
-      MISSING_PATIENT_IDENTIFIERS,
-    );
-    return NextResponse.json(OperationOutcome, { status: 400 });
-  }
+      const parsedMessage = new Message({
+        text: parseHL7FromRequestBody(requestText),
+      });
 
-  // Add params & patient identifiers to QueryName
-  const QueryRequest: QueryRequest = {
-    query_name: queryResults.query_name,
-    fhir_server: fhir_server,
-    first_name: PatientIdentifiers?.first_name ?? given,
-    last_name: PatientIdentifiers?.last_name ?? family,
-    dob: PatientIdentifiers?.dob ?? dob,
-    mrn: PatientIdentifiers?.mrn ?? mrn,
-    phone: PatientIdentifiers?.phone ?? phone,
-  };
+      console.log(
+        parsedMessage.get("PID.3.1").toString(),
+        parsedMessage.get("NK1.5.1").toString(),
+      );
+      QueryRequest = {
+        query_name: queryResults?.query_name,
+        fhir_server: fhir_server,
+        first_name: parsedMessage.get("PID.5.2").toString() || "",
+        last_name: parsedMessage.get("PID.5.1").toString() || "",
+        dob: parsedMessage.get("PID.7.1").toString() || "",
+        mrn: parsedMessage.get("PID.3.1").toString() || "",
+        phone: parsedMessage.get("NK1.5.1").toString() || "",
+      };
+    } catch (error: unknown) {
+      return await handleAndReturnError(error);
+    }
+  } else {
+    try {
+      const requestBodyToCheck = await request.json();
+      // try extracting patient identifiers out of the request body from a potential
+      // FHIR message or as raw params
+      if (
+        requestBodyToCheck.resourceType &&
+        requestBodyToCheck.resourceType !== "Patient"
+      ) {
+        return await handleAndReturnError(
+          RESPONSE_BODY_IS_NOT_PATIENT_RESOURCE,
+        );
+      }
+
+      // Parse patient identifiers from a potential FHIR resource
+      const PatientIdentifiers =
+        await parsePatientDemographics(requestBodyToCheck);
+
+      if (Object.keys(PatientIdentifiers).length === 0) {
+        return await handleAndReturnError(MISSING_PATIENT_IDENTIFIERS, 400);
+      }
+
+      // Add params & patient identifiers to QueryName
+      QueryRequest = {
+        query_name: queryResults.query_name,
+        fhir_server: fhir_server,
+        first_name: PatientIdentifiers?.first_name,
+        last_name: PatientIdentifiers?.last_name,
+        dob: PatientIdentifiers?.dob,
+        mrn: PatientIdentifiers?.mrn,
+        phone: PatientIdentifiers?.phone,
+      };
+    } catch (error: unknown) {
+      return await handleAndReturnError(error);
+    }
+  }
 
   const QueryResponse: QueryResponse = await makeFhirQuery(QueryRequest);
 
@@ -280,10 +302,3 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
     status: 200,
   });
 }
-
-function mapDeprecatedUseCaseToId(use_case: string | null) {
-  if (use_case === null) return null;
-  const potentialUseCaseMatch = USE_CASE_DETAILS[use_case as USE_CASES];
-  const queryId = potentialUseCaseMatch?.id ?? null;
-  return queryId;
-}
diff --git a/query-connector/src/app/shared/constants.ts b/query-connector/src/app/shared/constants.ts
index e89f4b451..7f0fdb291 100644
--- a/query-connector/src/app/shared/constants.ts
+++ b/query-connector/src/app/shared/constants.ts
@@ -242,6 +242,10 @@ export const INVALID_FHIR_SERVERS = `Invalid fhir_server. Please provide a valid
 export const RESPONSE_BODY_IS_NOT_PATIENT_RESOURCE =
   "Request body is not a Patient resource.";
 export const MISSING_API_QUERY_PARAM = "Missing id or fhir_server.";
+export const INVALID_MESSAGE_FORMAT =
+  "Invalid message format. Format parameter needs to be either 'HL7' or 'FHIR'";
+export const HL7_BODY_MISFORMAT =
+  "Invalid HL7 request. Please add your HL7 message to the request body in between curly braces like so - { YOUR MESSAGE HERE } ";
 export const MISSING_PATIENT_IDENTIFIERS =
   "No patient identifiers to parse from requestBody.";