BACKGROUND
Emerging Opportunities
In late 2019 with congressional funding, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the Data Modernization Initiative (DMI). This initiative was designed to strengthen both public health systems and workforce – recognizing that data is one of the most powerful tools in public health – and promote a major shift in how public health data is collected, managed, and shared across the country.
In 2023, CDC’s Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST) introduced the Public Health Data Strategy (PHDS) to guide the modernization effort. Today, CDC and its partners increasingly refer to this broader effort simply as data modernization — with longer-term, ecosystem-wide implications.
For public health organizations, data modernization presents an opportunity to upgrade their system infrastructure, enhance workforce capabilities and adopt technologies that improve efficiency and productivity, reduce manual processes, enhance access to data, increase collaboration and align infrastructure, workforce and processes with their organization’s vision and goals.
Key components of data modernization may include:
- A Data Modernization plan and governance structure to guide the direction
- Data utilities and governance platforms
- Adoption of data standards such as HL7® FHIR® (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) for improved interoperability
- Cloud hosting technologies
- Artificial intelligence and decision support tools
In today’s environment, public health organizations are looking for a way to balance data modernization efforts with limited resources for sustainability of their public health systems, and enhancements and staff. This requires more organization-wide strategic planning and prioritization to bring incremental value to the agency as a whole. Applying new or emerging technology to promote system modernization will also impact the agency’s staff skillset and capacity. Internal jurisdictional hiring practices and a competitive technical labor market can make it difficult to scale public health informatics teams, thereby making cross-sector partnerships, shared services and flexible support models even more integral to an agency’s strategic vision.
Agencies must also contend with a reduction in federal guidance that will require more state and local autonomy. Data modernization can drive improved coordination and outcomes through strategic planning, sustainable forecasting, and agency-owned governance.
APPROACH
Software and services
HLN actively supports data modernization at both the national and local levels through technical services, open-source tools, and strategic consulting. We collaborate with national organizations — including ASTHO, NNPHI, PHII, CSTE, HIMSS, and the CDC Foundation — while providing direct assistance to public health organizations at state and local levels. HLN brings deep technical and domain expertise to help agencies modernize their systems, integrate emerging standards, and prepare for future interoperability with a focus on sustainability.
Key areas of support include:
- Electronic Case Reporting (eCR): HLN provides ongoing support for the Reportable Conditions Knowledge Management System (RCKMS) and related initiatives. We also provide eCR implementation support directly to public health organizations.
- Readiness and maturity assessments
- Public health platform transition/modernization, such as Immunization Information Systems (IIS) and Disease Surveillance Systems.
- FHIR Integration: We lead several projects involving HL7 FHIR, including support for multiple public health agency implementations.
- Helios FHIR Accelerator Participation: HLN is an active contributor to the Helios initiative, which is shaping national FHIR infrastructure for public health.
- Open-Source Solutions: Our Immunization Calculation Engine (ICE) includes FHIR-based CDS Hooks capabilities and is freely available to jurisdictions.
- Data Governance strategic thinking, planning and implementation support to public health organizations.
- Project management and Change management for data modernization on an organizational level.
HLN is prepared to help agencies think strategically about the role of DM in the agency, as well as develop practical solutions that leverage data modernization philosophy, strategy, and tools. Beyond the hardware and software, HLN helps agencies think strategically about how data modernization can align with mission-critical goals and how to implement sustainable solutions that leverage modern architectures and viable funding opportunities.
Community Groups
Some notable national data modernization communities and industry efforts that support the data modernization ecosystem are provided below. Agencies are encouraged to engage in these as capacity allows:
- PHII DMI Learning Community
- CDC HL7 FHIR and Beyond Community of Practice (CDC access required)
- HL7 Helios FHIR Accelerator for Public Health
RESOURCES
Key CDC Resources
- Data Modernization Initiative (DMI)
- Public Health Data Strategy (PHDS)
- Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG)
- Data Pipeline Project
Partner Toolkits & Reports
- ASTHO: Accelerating Data Exchange in Public Health
- ASTHO Data Modernization Primer & Tactical Guides
- CSTE DMI Priorities Report
- CSTE: Stories of Data Modernization in the Field
- PHII DMI Resource Hub
- PHIG Data Modernization Implementation Center (DMIC) Program
- Data Governance for Public Health Toolkit
Standards & Interoperability
- HL7 FHIR Standard
- ASTP/ONC USCDI+ Standards
- TEFCA (Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement)
HLN Insights & Blog Posts
- Plugging Public Health Data into the Health IT Ecosystem
- TEFCA Update: Public Health Takes a Step Forward
- The Key to Data Modernization: Getting Everyone on the Same Page
- HLN DMI Blog Series
Videos
- DMI and Public Health (2023)
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