Connecting Public Health, Technology, and Communities: The Path to Data Modernization
- By: Jaime Jimenez, MPH
- Date
Data modernization has become a cornerstone of public health discussions, with most recent webinars, conferences, and blog posts now emphasizing its importance. The National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) Open Forum Conference was no exception. From leveraging electronic medical records to advance chronic disease data to exploring how AI is revolutionizing data science training, the future of the public health workforce depends on new and seasoned professionals poised to innovate and modernize data systems and practices.
In a dynamic half-day workshop, which took place in advance of NNPHI’s Open Forum, the Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH) team engaged nearly 30 public health professionals, equipping them with tools to make meaningful contributions to their organizations’ data modernization efforts. The session began with a review of recent milestones in data modernization, introduced a comprehensive framework, and culminated in practical case studies. This interactive approach provided participants with insights and strategies to advance data modernization initiatives within their jurisdictions.
The current momentum behind data modernization gained significant traction in 2019 when the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) released a white paper advocating for a “public health data superhighway.” This visionary concept proposed moving away from fragmented, disease-specific data silos and manual data sharing, to establishing a unified public health data infrastructure capable of seamless, interoperable data exchange across federal, state, and local levels. This call for data that is well-governed, insightful, and adaptable resonated throughout the public health sector.
Furthering the cause, in 2020, Congress responded with an initial $50 million investment—the first-ever base funding for Data Modernization Initiative (DMI). The funds were intended to bolster core surveillance capabilities and tackle pressing data modernization challenges that had long hindered coordinated efforts. Since then, support for data modernization has only expanded, with annual funding rising to $100M in FY 2022 and $175M in FY 2023.
As part of the Public Heath Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) a total of $3.685B was awarded to 107 public health departments in all 50 states, Washington D.C., eight territories/freely associated states, and 48 large localities. Priorities of these dollars are to create a more resilient public health system. This includes safety and security for communities to better detect outbreaks and emergencies, pipelines to public health careers, and health equity— making services more accessible to the populations most under resourced.
While technology is a vital component of data modernization, it alone cannot drive the transformative change needed within public health. Building connections and fostering trust at the community level are equally crucial, as these relationships often serve as the catalyst for successful data-sharing initiatives. Embracing a holistic perspective that addresses both technological and human elements is essential to tackling the complexities of data modernization.
These historic investments provide an unprecedented opportunity, but realizing meaningful, lasting change requires more than funding. Organizations like (DASH) play a pivotal role in supporting jurisdictions as they navigate the challenges of modernization, offering guidance to ensure that strategies are both impactful and sustainable. By blending technological advances with community engagement, public health can move closer to a resilient, interconnected data ecosystem that serves everyone more effectively.
Co-led by the Illinois and Michigan Public health Institution, the DASH team has supported nearly 200 communities through financial support and technical assistance supporting “data-sharing ecosystems to achieve health equity.” Through several rounds of feedback, the DASHFramework 3.0: Building Equitable Data Ecosystems for Fostering Community Health was established as a tool to promote new data possibilities by centering community voices, accounting for policy and market forces, and addressing systems change (Figure 1).
Figure 1. DASH Framework 3.0: Building Equitable Data Ecosystems for Fostering Community Health.
Check out this case study to understand the DASH Framework 3.0 in action.
Case Study Highlight from the DMI Workshop at Open Forum
Data Governance in Maricopa County, Arizona (2022)
In response to the growing crisis of homelessness in Arizona, Maricopa County launched an ambitious data-sharing initiative aimed at coordinating resources across sectors. By fostering collaboration among agencies focused on homelessness, behavioral health, and healthcare, this effort allowed stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of the public health challenges and associated costs.
In 2022, the Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships (LAPP), a national initiative led by Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH) in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, brought together state agencies and community organizations to share data to improve health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness through partnerships with six different governmental partners. Including the voices of community members—those with lived expertise, was a key factor in ensuring that the data-sharing process was respectful and empowering.
The LAPP team worked with community members to design data-sharing protocols, developed a shared vision and classified how data was being used and integrated. This crucial dialogue led to increased buy-in. Overall, community involvement proved critical in driving the success of this data exchange, building trust and advancing health equity.
This initiative was so successful the state showed interest in this growing issue. They accomplished an integrated statewide homeless management information system (HMIS) data with state Medicaid data.
To learn more about this community-led effort check out Addressing the Health Care Needs of People Experiencing Homelessness in Arizona (chcs.org).
Data modernization is not merely about upgrading technology; it’s about equipping the next generation of public health professionals to reimagine and transform antiquated systems. As demonstrated by Maricopa County’s initiative, placing community voices at the center is essential for building systems that are both resilient and equitable. With organizations like DASH leading the way, the future of public health is poised to be brighter, more inclusive, and deeply impactful as we continue to innovate, collaborate, and drive meaningful change together.
“For too long public health jurisdictions have worked in silos, not just technology and data silos with their own proprietary systems and data that they’ve collected, they have also not really connected with the ecosystem around them…
Having more inclusion and information sharing not just with federal partners and other state and local partners, but with communities they’re serving is something that’s become super, super important that we see across the countries.”
– Waldo Mikels-Carrasco, DASH PO Co-Director (IPHI)
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