Westfield Health Bulletin: Feds’ $255M initiative will help agencies share public health data

by Juanita Carnes, The Westfield News, July 27, 2024

Public Health data collection and communication proved to be crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government has announced a $255 million program to improve public health agency’s ability to improve in this area.

The pandemic uncovered many areas in public health that needed improvement. Some state and local public health agencies are still using faxes and manual entry for data systems. The new Data Modernization Implementation Center program will update state, local and tribal government data systems by offering technical assistance, policy and legal advice, guidance documents and other resources. The monies are made available through the CDC with the goal of developing strong, secure data exchanges between public health agencies.