Public Health Review

This podcast, the second in a two-part series, continues to explore the concept of "Chief Health Strategist" as a way to address the most pressing public health issues and advance population health activities. This discussion continues the conversation on moving from concept into practice, as well as how to apply ASTHO’s three pillars for population health improvement to support clinical to community connections, improve health equity and the social determinants of health, and utilize public health informatics. Mary Ann Cooney offers examples of this model already at work and tells you where you can get help if you want to move forward in your state.

GUEST:

Mary Ann Cooney, Chief, Center for Population Health Strategies, ASTHO

RESOURCES:

The High Achieving Governmental Health Department in 2020 as the Community Chief Health Strategist - http://www.resolv.org/site-healthleadershipforum/files/2014/05/The-High-Achieving-Governmental-Health-Department-as-the-Chief-Health-Strategist-by-2020-Final1.pdf

ASTHO Center for Population Health Strategies - http://www.astho.org/Programs/Clinical-to-Community-Connections/ASTHO-CPHS-Overview_FINAL/

Trust for America’s Health – www.tfah.org

In this bonus episode, we hear from three leading state public health officials about the latest national and state response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their comments are taken from a virtual news conference with national journalists held Thursday, July 29, 2021.

During the event hosted by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), Dr. Nirav Shah (Maine), Dr. Karyl Rattay (Delaware), and Dr. Joseph Kanter (Louisiana), discuss the latest issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic – mask guidance, back to school issues, and the surging Delta variant.

Listen to the full briefing here.

Speakers:

• Nirav Shah, MD, JD, Director, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and ASTHO President.
• Karyl Rattay, MD, MS, Director, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health
• Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH, State Health Officer, Louisiana Department of Health

It’s that time of year again...flu season. Each year, the United States battles seasonal influenza, leaving thousands of people sick, hospitalized, or worse. Public health professionals across the nation are on the front lines, doing their best to prepare for and respond to seasonal flu in the hopes of reducing the likelihood of a pandemic event. This episode will focus on the burden of seasonal and pandemic flu, and highlight key planning activities and strategies that federal, state, and local public health agencies are doing to combat flu and keep communities healthy.

Guests:

• Cara M. Christ, M.D., M.S. Director for the Arizona Department of Health Services
• Daniel B. Jernigan, M.D., M.P.H. Director of the Influenza Division in the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), CDC
• Christopher Shields Assistant Commissioner at City of Chicago

The landscape of public health data is changing. This episode dives into the importance of modernizing data exchange for a more efficient and effective public health system. We explore a framework that utilizes cloud services, open-source software, and open data standards to revolutionize how public health data is collected, shared, and analyzed.

This innovative approach outlines tools to reduce manual effort and streamline data flow across various sources, ultimately empowering state, tribal, local, and territorial health agencies (STLTs) to improve public health outcomes.

Join us as we hear national and state perspectives on data modernization initiatives, including valuable insights, experiences, and recommendations on workforce, policy, and funding to prepare for a future of cloud-based data sharing. This episode is a must-listen for public health professionals looking to harness the power of modern technologies to improve public health data exchange and ultimately, the well-being of their communities.

Speakers:

· Rachelle Boulton, MSPH: Health Informatics Program Manager, Division of Population Health, Utah Department of Health and Human Services

· Tabatha Offutt-Powell, DrPH, MPH: Vice President, Public Health Data Modernization and Informatics, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

Resources:

· The North Star Architecture framework is one way CDC has been talking about improving data exchange and leveraging cloud technologies. The themes and tools described as part of North Star Architecture are also connected to other opportunities and initiatives at CDC and with public health partners. We expect this to continue to evolve.

· CDC Data Modernization Initiative provides a comprehensive overview of national efforts to modernize public health data collection, sharing, and analysis.

· CDC Public Health Data Strategy details a comprehensive strategy and goal-oriented plan for leveraging data to improve public health outcomes across the nation.

· Data Pipeline Pilot Project is a CDC and United States Digital Service (USDS) initiative co-piloted with the Virginia Department of Health that led to the creation of a prototype cloud-based data processing pipeline that validates, ingests, and links data across multiple data streams.

· Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) outlines a national vision for public health data and the data, technology, policy, and administrative actions essential to exchange core data efficiently and securely across healthcare and public health.

· CDC Data Enterprise Exchange (DEX) is a cloud-based service that streamlines data exchange between STLTs and CDC through a centralized entry point, accepts data in various formats from public health partners, and utilizes modern Application Programming Interface (APIs) for secure and efficient data exchange.

· CDC is working closely with partners through a number of initiatives to advance interoperability. This page covers several of these with access to additional resources and information.

As public health leaders race to vaccinate the nation against COVID-19, it’s critically important for public health data to move faster than disease.

On this bonus episode of Public Health Review, we chat with an expert in artificial intelligence who knows how to leverage data in the fight against disease.

Stanley Campbell, CEO and CTO of EagleForce, discusses its proprietary telehealth platform (“myVaxTM”) and how the company has developed a platform for a digital passport for COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination results.

He also explains how a centralized database for all personal health information--yes, even to track vaccinations-- can help us transition into a post-pandemic world.