550: Data Exchange Network Explained, Tribal Liaisons Build Connections

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, November 22, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

J.T. LANE: 

At the end of the day, we want people to have access to as much of their health information as they can in one place and in one way.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO's J.T. Lane says the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement or TEFCA, will improve health care through better systems for sharing data.

LANE: 

If you think about the challenges we face during the pandemic, related to timely data exchange, data accuracy or completeness, TEFCA is one major step forward that can allow the U.S. healthcare system and the U.S. public health system to share data more seamlessly, more quickly, and more reliably, and more accurately so that we can make decisions even more rapidly and more accurately, for public health action or policymaking.

JOHNSON: 

Lane says TEFCA has been in the works since 2016, getting new attention because of challenges highlighted by the pandemic. He says the plan is to allow providers and public health agencies to share data in real time.

LANE: 

What I mean by that is that a provider might be working directly with a an immunization program on one vaccine report but they also have a case report, maybe on the same patient related to infection and then there's maybe in this context, we'll say COVID and so, what TEFCA will allow is being able to exchange all of that data seamlessly at one time as opposed to having individual reports for each program area or data area need for that.

JOHNSON: 

Lane says having the information also will lead to better and faster allocation of resources to address hotspots or outbreaks.

LANE: 

And that way we can align the efforts of the providers and the public health system and community-based partners in a way where everyone is behind a common agenda and putting their energy into tackling core health challenges facing any community across the country.

JOHNSON: 

Read more about TEFCA in a new ASTHO blog article now online. There's a link in the show notes.

Congress managed to avoid a government shutdown last week, but there are new deadlines to meet and several spending bills that still need approval. This is ASTHO's Catherine Jones.

CATHERINE JONES: 

In early 2024, the two chambers will need to pass each of the twelve appropriations budgets individually or bundled them together somehow. The Senate has already passed three of its twelve spending bills. The House has passed seven of the twelve bills at significantly lower levels of funding than previously agreed upon in July. It's unclear if the House can pass any of the remaining five bills.

JOHNSON: 

Jones says there's a lot of work left on legislation that funds much of public health.

JONES: 

Most importantly, for public health, the Labor Health and Human Services Education bill lacked the votes to even begin the market process. The two chambers will ultimately have to reconcile their versions of these bills before they can move forward. January and February 2024 should be very interesting.

JOHNSON: 

You can read ASTHO's latest federal health policy update using the link in the show notes.

Also, this morning, designated tribal liaisons have helped to New Mexico improve connections with people in the state's 23 tribes, pueblos, and nations. Janet Johnson is New Mexico's tribal liaison at the health department.

JANET JOHNSON: 

One of my primary roles is facilitating outreach between our divisions, programs, and staff, and their respective tribal counterparts in support of identifying, addressing, and engaging on a number of health priorities.

JOHNSON: 

Johnson says her work varies depending on the individual needs of New Mexico's tribal communities.

JANET JOHNSON: 

These efforts can range from technical assistance to the creation of intergovernmental agreements for the purpose of providing services and other work to be done with the tribes. In regards to technical assistance, the most frequently called upon request for assistance is with program development on grant assistance.

JOHNSON: 

And the biggest concerns on the minds of these communities right now include:

JANET JOHNSON: 

Proximity to care, access to services, access to providers, and how infrastructure can affect those services.

JOHNSON: 

You can read more about New Mexico's work in this area using the link in the show notes.

Finally, this morning, Public Health Thank You Day was Monday, but we've been celebrating since last week. This is the third year we've asked people in public health to tell us what they're thankful for. Today, we offer our last thank you note of the Thanksgiving season. This one is by public health consultant Amy Schlotthauer.

AMY SCHLOTTHAUER: 

I'm thankful for the public health workforce and their tireless efforts to uphold the programs and policies that guide and protect our public health across this country.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

Before we go, we'd like to remind you to follow this newscast on your podcast player and ASTHO on social media. We're on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

That will do it for today. We're off for the Thanksgiving holiday, but back Monday morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great holiday weekend.