Purpose
Who Do We Work With?
CDC works with various federal agencies to strengthen public health data and surveillance and to put data modernization into practice. For example:
The Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) coordinates nationwide efforts to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information. They are a key partner for CDC, particularly regarding accessing and sharing health data. ATSP also helps us facilitate the Consortium for Data Modernization.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) serves the public as a trusted partner and steward, dedicated to advancing health equity and improving outcomes. CDC works alongside CMS to advance public health data modernization goals through the Promoting Interoperability Programs, quality measure development, and other Medicare and Medicaid initiatives.
The United States Digital Service (USDS) is a technology organization within the Executive Office of the President at the White House. USDS's mission focuses on implementing best practices in technology and design to address the federal government's most pressing technical challenges.
DMI in action: SimpleReport app helps Alaska count cases
The free SimpleReport app that CDC developed with USDS filled critical gaps in COVID case reporting in remote rural areas, in schools, and in the fishing and tourism industries. Alaska went live with SimpleReport in September 2021, rolling out initially for non-traditional testing locations struggling to report cases. Anne Zink, MD, Chief Medical Officer for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, says SimpleReport was a "huge game changer." It allowed Alaska to go from calls and faxes and spreadsheets to an automated tool.
CDC collaborates with and supports public health departments to help them meet the challenges of modernizing data systems. CDC supports jurisdictions' data modernization efforts by:
- Providing direct funding
- Building foundational capacity
- Implementing core data and surveillance modernization activities.
- Building foundational capacity
- Offering technical assistance
- Providing experts and resources to support STLT data modernization activities.
- Providing experts and resources to support STLT data modernization activities.
- Collaborating with national partners
- Facilitating learning networks and opportunities for knowledge and skill development.
- Facilitating learning networks and opportunities for knowledge and skill development.
This is not a one-sided relationship. Our STLT partners are helping CDC identify:
- problems along the data pipeline,
- training needs of public health staff, and
- accomplishments happening along the data modernization journey.
Tell us your stories.
Read stories of Surveillance and Data in Action at the state and local level.
National organizations and public health associations support CDC's data modernization efforts in a variety of ways. Activities include:
- Increasing awareness of data modernization goals and activities
- Providing perspectives on priorities and strategies
- Identifying challenges that delay modernization efforts and possible solutions
- Strengthening data modernization capacity at the national, state, and local levels
- Supporting workforce development
- Highlighting data modernization successes
Public-private collaborations can help save lives, so data modernization includes partnerships with industry.
For example, public-private partnerships equip CDC to rapidly scale up testing during a public health emergency and access laboratory data on over 200 reportable health conditions. These efforts strengthen CDC's response to public health threats through expanded laboratory testing and access to data.
Additionally, on February 27-28, 2023, the CDC Foundation convened the first joint CDC and ASTP Industry Information and Collaboration Days. More than 1600 people attended. The full video recordings and materials are available on the CDC Foundation website.
The Utah Data Summit: Innovating with Industry was held in in June 2023 in Salt Lake City. It brought 100+ experts together to tackle data modernization challenges to improve health outcomes and preparedness for people in Utah.
The Washington Health Data Innovation Summit was held on August 17 and 18, 2023. It brought together key partners in the NW Region to collaborate on high priority public health information challenges. It showed how partnerships drive innovation to improve health outcomes, lower healthcare costs, and spur economic growth for Washington and beyond.
The CDC Health Data Innovation Summit in September 2023 brought together key partners. Together, we shared insights on high priority public health information challenges and fostered collaborations to address those challenges. Key partners included State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Health Departments (STLTs), healthcare providers, community-based organizations, academia, technology vendors, industry, and others.
Building on the CDC-ASTP Industry Days that was hosted on February 27-28, 2023, this two-day event accomplished several goals, having:
- Informed partners about the CDC's strategic direction
- Provided networking opportunities to foster partnerships and innovation,
- Promoted opportunities for partners to collaborate with CDC/STLTs,
- Educated CDC staff about important, arising tools and methods used in industry,
- Provided partners with opportunities to describe and demo their services,
- Allowed public health to assess the utility and applicability of industry solutions
You can find the video recordings and associated slides for each session here: CDC Health Innovation Summit 2023 - Atlanta | CDC Foundation.