Accelerating Public Health Data Exchange
Data Modernization Implementation Center Program
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with three national partners—the
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the National Network of Public Health
Institutes (NNPHI), and the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)—continue to support public health
agencies through the Implementation Center Program (IC Program). This program helps agencies adopt
the latest health IT standards and participate in data exchange networks to accelerate public health data
exchange.
Funded through the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG), the program is being updated to further
align with a modern data ecosystem that supports data that are available closer to the source, in near
real time, and in the most efficient manner for actionable use.
Program Goals and Program Priorities
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.
To support program goals, the program is aligning activities around three priority areas:
- FHIR Forward: Advancing the use of FHIR-based APIs and USCDI-aligned data to streamline exchange, reduce burden, and enable scalable reuse.
- Interoperability Infrastructure: Expanding access to and use of health information exchanges (HIEs), health data utilities (HDUs), TEFCA, CMS-aligned networks, and other shared infrastructure.
- Frontier Solutions: Supporting innovative and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and other new approaches, to enhance data exchange and performance.
These priorities build on existing investments and support continued progress toward a more connected and efficient data ecosystem.
Program Offerings
Implementation Centers will provide resources and support to public health agencies for implementation activities that work toward the adoption of the latest health IT standards and participation in data exchange networks. This support includes:
- Funding and implementation assistance to support public health agencies to complete implementation projects. This may include strategic planning, process development and implementation, technical assistance, policy and legal support, and sustainability planning support.
- Monitoring and evaluation support.
Benefits of Participation
The Implementation Center Program aims to provide benefits to public health agencies across the country, whether directly through participation in the program or indirectly through findings and lessons learned.
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, laboratories, and federal partners.
- Support to build on existing data modernization initiative (DMI)-funded projects focused on the adoption of health IT standards.
- Assistance in participating in regional and/or national data exchange networks.
Tribal Implementation Center
The Data Modernization Implementation Center (IC) Program also includes a dedicated Tribal IC component supporting Tribes, Tribal Consortia, and Tribal Epidemiology Centers (T/C/TECs) advancing Tribally led public health data modernization efforts. The program is designed to ensure approaches are informed by Tribal input and grounded in respect for Tribal sovereignty.
Applications for the Tribal IC Program are now open. T/C/TECs can visit the Tribal IC webpage to access application materials, program resources, and additional information about the program.
Staying Connected
For public health agencies currently involved in implementation projects, including Wave 1 and Tribal efforts, National Partners will continue to communicate updates directly with participating public health agencies through email and direct outreach. Public health agencies should contact their National Partner points of contact with any questions regarding participation.
Additional information on future opportunities, next steps, and timelines will be shared directly with jurisdictions as details become available.
For general program questions, please email phdmic@astho.org.
For Tribal IC Program questions, please contact tribalic@nnphi.org.