CSTE and 102 Supporting Orgs request $250 Million for Data Modernization

The members the Data: Elemental to Health campaign recently led 102 organizations in requesting $250 million in Fiscal Year 2022 funding for the Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The funding request was included in a letter sent to the House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittees on Tuesday, April 27 as part of the Campaign’s continued efforts to ensure sustained federal funding for much needed data modernization at CDC.

Years before COVID-19 struck, the campaign partners identified significant gaps in our nation’s antiquated public health surveillance systems that impeded our ability to effectively and efficiently respond to emerging public health threats. We called for a foundational investment of $1 billion to upgrade public health data systems and sustained, annual funding to keep systems up to date. COVID-19 exposed just how big these gaps in public health data systems really are and the significant sustained investment needed to truly address this crisis. To date, Congress has responded with funding through annual appropriations, the CARES Act, and the American Rescue Plan, which lay an important foundation for building a 21^st century data superhighway. The request for an additional $250 million in FY2022 will set us on a path toward long-term, sustained funding.

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC), Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS) will continue to lead efforts to achieve interoperable, high-speed, networks to move information from health care to public health—from laboratories to health care facilities to public health authorities—with fast and reliable data in order to protect Americans from health threats.

For more information on the Data: Elemental to Health campaign, visit https://www.cste.org/page/DM-2021.