Data Modernization
Implementation Center Program
Accelerating Public Health Data Exchange
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with three national partners - the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), and the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) have launched a new program to support public health agencies with the adoption of the latest health IT standards and participation in data exchange networks. The Data Modernization Implementation Center Program is funded with $255 million provided by the CDC through the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG).
ASTHO, NNPHI, and PHAB have selected CRISP Shared Services, Guidehouse, and Mathematica to serve as Implementation Centers. A fourth Implementation Center, launching later in the year, will focus on providing support to Tribes and Tribal-serving organizations. These Implementation Centers will support several public health agencies in 2024, with additional public health agencies participating through 2027.
Program Goals and Outcomes
The overarching goal of the program is to improve the timely prevention and detection of public health threats by reducing the burden of data exchange between public health agencies, health care, and the communities they serve. The outcomes that will achieve this goal include:
- Adoption of the latest health IT standards to exchange data with health care, laboratories, and other data providers.
- Participation in data exchange networks such as the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA).
Program Offerings
Implementation Centers will provide resources and support to public health agencies for implementation activities that work towards the adoption of the latest health IT standards and participation in data exchange networks (e.g., TEFCA). This support includes:
- Provision of holistic support across People, Process, Governance, and Technology domains to work towards program outcomes while meeting public health agency-specific needs. This may include strategic planning, process development and implementation, technical hands-on support, as well as policy and legal support.
- Development of tailored sustainable approaches and solutions that help public health agencies continue to meet these outcomes.
- Monitoring and evaluation support.
Benefits of Participation
The Implementation Center Program aims to provide benefits to all public health agencies across the country, whether directly through participation in the program or indirectly through resources such as guidance documents, webinars, and other offerings that synthesize findings and emerging lessons learned from the program. Benefits of participation include:
- Customized support based on public health agency-specific needs.
- Support in adopting and using new technology and standards to exchange data with providers, other public health agencies, labs, and federal partners.
- Support to build on existing data modernization initiative (DMI) funded projects that are focused on the adoption of health IT standards.
- Assistance in participation in the national data exchange network that will be available through TEFCA.
- Support for critical priority use cases identified by public health agencies.
Tribal Implementation Center
One of the four Implementation Centers will focus exclusively on supporting Tribes and tribal-serving organizations with their data modernization priorities. This Implementation Center will ensure modernization approaches are legally and culturally appropriate for Tribes by:
- Ensuring that Tribes and delegated representatives are included and engaged in all aspects of this work. Supporting partnerships that help identify and implement solutions to challenges unique to Tribal communities, using technical and policy approaches that maintain Tribal data sovereignty.
- Fostering scalable technical solutions that can be shared and re-leveraged for implementation without infringing on Tribal data sovereignty.
- Building Tribal capacity through governance frameworks and trust relationships established by the Tribal Implementation Center.
Public Health Jurisdiction Eligibility
Public health agencies at the state, tribal, local, territorial, and freely associated state level are eligible for participation in the Implementation Center Program, regardless of whether or not they have received previous funding for data modernization activities. With the initial launch of the Implementation Center Program, Year 1 (2024) selection into the program will require public health agencies complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form. The EOI form will be distributed by the National Partners in coordination with the Implementation Centers. Additional information regarding the content and timeline for submitting EOIs will be forthcoming. Information requested in the EOI may include identification of the Implementation Center Program Outcome(s) that the public health agency aims to achieve, specific needs related to meeting the Outcomes (i.e., use cases), as well as a description of work accomplished to date towards these Outcomes.
How to Get Involved
The National Partners - ASTHO, NNPHI, and PHAB - will disseminate information on the EOI form and provide educational materials and webinars to encourage participation. Information will be forthcoming.
What is the Expected Jurisdictional Commitment?
The Implementation Center Program goal is for participating public health agencies to have certain foundational capacities that will support the technical implementation projects for advanced data exchange. Public health agencies selected to participate in the program will complete an initial assessment to identify existing and needed resources and develop implementation work plans to meet Implementation Center Program Outcomes.
Are Financial Resources Available for Participating Jurisdictions?
Public health agencies participating in the Implementation Center Program will receive direct technical implementation services including financial assistance, capacity-building, and technical guidance.
For more information, contact phdmic@astho.org.