Welcome to the 2022 DMI Snapshot
If one thing is clear, it’s that data saves lives. And better data saves more lives.
Since early 2020, CDC’s Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) has focused on improving public health data to make it more accessible, flexible, equitable, and usable for action. Today, we are seeing real, on-the-ground results in terms of time saved, data delivered, and health improved.
The true strength of DMI lies in the unity we have built around this effort. Partners from across public health, research, academia, and private industry have supported the initiative at every step with valuable recommendations, coordinated action, and a shared vision for what public health can be. Thanks to countless hours put in by CDC staff and partners across the nation, we are making tremendous progress towards creating one public health community.
Showcasing more than two dozen stories, this year’s DMI Snapshot captures just a fraction of the amazing work accomplished in 2022. As we look beyond the immediate demands of a global pandemic, we are realizing the potential of modernization to answer all kinds of health threats — from suicide to cancer to tuberculosis to chronic diseases and more. The stories collected here demonstrate what’s possible when we focus on the data, technology, people, and policies needed to move our nation forward.
Together with our partners, we’re creating a new paradigm for public health. We’re reimagining our technologies and developing common pathways to move data more seamlessly everywhere it needs to go. We’re changing processes to save time while reducing the burden on our state and local partners. We’re opening up more data to the public and linking datasets in ways that yield new insights. And, most of all, we’re keeping health equity at the center of everything we do.
What we’ve achieved so far is incredible, but we still have many goals to accomplish. In 2022, the CDC director made it a strategic imperative to “modernize CDC so that it consistently delivers public health information and guidance to Americans in real time.” DMI remains deeply connected to CDC’s Moving Forward initiative. With Moving Forward, CDC is taking critical steps to advance data modernization by standing up a new Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST), which will be the first office at CDC dedicated to leading a comprehensive Public Health Data Strategy. The strategy is designed to describe a path to address gaps in public health data, helping the nation become response-ready, promote health equity, and improve health outcomes for all.
The DMI Snapshot is evidence of the promise modernization holds and the value it can bring. OPHDST and CDC’s Office of the Chief Information Officer remain committed to sharing and supporting the many efforts reflected within and beyond these pages. As you read it, we hope you will be as inspired as we have been by our progress and by the people who are making it happen.
Jennifer Layden, MD, PhD
Acting Director for the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology
Suzi M. Connor
CDC Chief Information Officer
Director, Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)