Notable Data Modernization Milestones: 2019-2024

At a glance

ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's vision for Data Modernization is to move public health from tracking threats to predicting them. ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø has made a measurable difference in our nation's ability to respond to pandemics and to find and face any future public health threat. Below are some key steps and advancements in our progress.
graphical data representation

Key Milestones

  • complex threats graphic

    Complex threats expose gaps and prompt action

    • Partners  that public health data are “moving slower than disease”
  • Epidemics like opioids, suicide, and EVALI challenge public health’s capabilities

  • DMI urgent call graphic

    Public Health Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) launches with a vision of world class data and analytics

  • abstract landscape graphic

    ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø answers the urgent call

    • Focus on core surveillance systems improves early warning signals for biggest health threats
    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø releases  to share technology resources and foster innovation
    • New IT and Data Governance unifies ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø’s investments in modernization
  • For the first time, Congress dedicates  to support data modernization

  • growing support image graphic

    Growing support for modernization

    • Data standards, such as ®, and new federal policies push modernization forward
    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø expands data-ready innovation with healthcare, academic, and research partners
    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø awards first funding to states for data modernization and system interoperability
    • DMI lays out a strategic roadmap to guide modernization and evaluation
  • Volume and velocity of COVID-19 cases quickly overwhelms public health data systems

  • COVID graphic

    Answering the pandemic

    • Multiple ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø surveillance systems extend ability to track COVID-19
    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø rapidly onboards health departments to automate transmission of electronic laboratory reports
    • Huge leaps in electronic case reporting (eCR) automate real-time information exchange between thousands of healthcare facilities
    • Provisional COVID-19 death data and new data on excess deaths informs response
    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and federal agencies stand up to track mental, social, and economic health
    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø integrates data from multiple core surveillance systems into  interface
  • designates $500M to support rapid modernization

  • image of chart

    Accelerating the strategy

    • Accelerated investments and projects increase capacity to rapidly detect and respond to the pandemic
    • Assigned Implementation Leads align, coordinate, monitor, and measure progress toward future state
    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø expands programs for state-of-the-art data science, visualization, and informatics training
    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and the pilot pandemic-ready systems at state and local health departments
  • Congress dedicates $50 million in FY 2021 to continue data modernization activities. 

  • The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act provides an additional $500 million to ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø to advance surveillance and analytics infrastructure, as well as to establish a forecasting center for emerging biological threats. 

  • abstract image

    Expanding our capabilities

    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø built an immunization data lake to handle the massive COVID-19 vaccine roll-out and delivery.
    • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø created a cloud-based platform to catalogue, analyze, and publish findings faster than previously possible.
    • Ongoing improvements to data collection and sharing improve health equity.
    • In August 2021, ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø stands up the new national Center for Epidemic Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics.
    • New cloud-based and computational capabilities enable ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø to process millions of unique SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences.
  • Congress dedicates $100M in FY 2022 and $175M in FY 2023 to modernize public health data surveillance and analytics at ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and state and local health departments. The FY 2024 President’s Budget Request was over $165M.

  • The Public Health Data Strategy: 2024-2025 Milestones and 2023 Progress, April 2024

    ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø’s Moving Forward initiative stands up the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology to lead a first-ever Public Health Data Strategy.

  • Stories from around the country capture the increasing impacts of transforming data to protect people’s health.

  • path abstract graphic

    The path to prevention

    • Continued modernization ensures an effective and efficient approach to lifesaving prevention and response.