Public Health Informatics Institute

Thank you to the Alabama Public Health (ADPH) staff who participated in an Informatics-Savvy Health Department self-assessment led by PHII. The assessment helps agencies understand their current informatics readiness, identify gaps and resources, prioritize activities and plan for future progress. The results from ADPH’s assessment will help inform their data modernization roadmap.

Ready to assess your agency’s informatics capacity? Explore our Informatics-Savvy Health Department Toolkit, or contact PHII to explore a facilitated in-person self-assessment.

View toolkit: https://buff.ly/0zzDOSu
Contact us: https://buff.ly/YMLqfm7

PHII has launched a new project management course. This training provides an introduction to managing projects from start to finish. Learn how to:
✅ support leadership decision-making
✅ effectively plan and scope work
✅ balance cost, time and quality throughout a project
Explore the course: https://buff.ly/zoULoj3

We're proud to share that PHII's disaster-related child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) surveillance resources, developed in collaboration with CDC, are now featured on the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) TRACIE website. This recognition expands access to tools that help public health agencies strengthen surveillance efforts and support child and adolescent mental well-being before, during and after natural disasters. Aligned with CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Response Readiness Framework Priorities, the resources can also help agencies meet 2024-28 natural disaster preparedness and response requirements. Explore these resources: https://buff.ly/LjbNuk2

As National Immunization Awareness Month wraps up, we're excited to share a new immunization information systems (IIS) sustainability toolkit. Developed in cooperation with CDC and with input from public health agencies, the toolkit offers practical guidance to help agencies strengthen and sustain their IIS by diversifying funding sources and improving efficiency. View the toolkit: https://buff.ly/5Ga1FYh

Grateful for PHII’s Requirements Lab team taking part in this important work. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dnUbBFae

How do you protect 242 million people from rapid disease outbreaks? By replacing fragmented health data systems with unified, real-time surveillance.

Featured in our latest annual report, Nigeria is transforming its outbreak response with the support of SONAR (Strengthening Outbreak Notification and Response), an initiative of The Global Fund implemented by the Task Force program - bringing together our expert epidemiologists and health informatics specialists In partnership with The Global Fund, Africa CDC, World Health Organization (WHO), and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, SONAR optimized digital tools and trained community teams to ensure early outbreak signals could become actionable, life-saving public health decisions.

This landmark effort enabled Nigeria to independently manage and share quality data through its Central Data Repository, serving as a model for 13 other nations across Africa and Asia. This work is helping to build stronger public health security around the world.

Read the full story in our annual report: https://www.taskforce.org/2025-annual-report/data-for-action/

Clinical decision support (CDS) can deliver public health guidance on STI treatment, screening and prevention. PHII partnered with the CDC, Elimu Informatics and three clinical partners to build an open-source CDS application using HL7 Clinical Quality Language and CDS Hooks standards. Integrated into a health system's EHR, the app prompted alerts for gonorrhea treatment, HIV screening and HIV prevention options.

PHII's Sarah Shaw co-authored a new Learning Health Systems article on the design approach and lessons learned. Read article: https://buff.ly/rocANOX
Learn about CDS: https://buff.ly/4RwtSrm

Lura Daussat, PHII director of practice support, recently reflected on how her time in the Peace Corps influenced her journey into public health in an article by the University of North Texas Peace Corps Prep Program.

"I don’t think I would be in public health had I not done Peace Corps,” Lura says.

Read the story:

Lura Daussat When a large snake slithered onto her classroom windowsill, Lura Daussat’s students were terrified. She asked them not to kill the creature, but, out of fear of the many deadly breeds that roamed around Ghana, they chopped its head off.

How do you communicate the value of data modernization?

PHII Senior Informatics Analyst Sarah Shaw joined ASTHO's Public Health Review Morning Edition to discuss the new Data Modernization Communications Toolkit. Developed by PHII in partnership with PHIG national partners, the toolkit is designed to help public health agencies communicate the value of data modernization, build support for modernization efforts and develop messages that resonate with diverse audiences.

Visit https://buff.ly/4qd3BlQ to listen to the episode. For more information on the DMC Toolkit, visit https://buff.ly/u45c8xC

It's a wrap on in Louisville! Thanks to everyone who dropped by our booth. One of the highlights of the conference was meeting face-to-face with people we’ve only known through screens. Connect with us by signing up for our e-newsletter: https://buff.ly/RijVlB9