Highlights

Are you interested in the integration of child health information systems (CHIS)?

The Institute is accepting applications for membership in the Connections Community of Practice (CoP). The intent of Connections is to support open and dynamic participation of those individuals and organizations working on or interested in the integration of child health information systems (CHIS). The Connections CoP is funded under a cooperative agreement between the Institute and the Health Resources and Services Administration - Bureau of Maternal and Child Health (HRSA/MCHB), with additional funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For more information about the Connections CoP, click here.

Are you involved in a child health information systems (CHIS) integration project? Click here for more information about joining the Connections Community of Practice. 

Click here to go directly to the Connections Membership Application. You can use this form to apply for membership as well as to be added to a contact list for updates on Connections activities.

Grand Rounds Presentation Highlights the Institute's Approach to Developing System Requirements

What factors influence performance improvement and quality in the public health arena? This was the topic for a recent "Grand Rounds" roundtable discussion sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the University of North Carolina. Institute Director Dave Ross participated in the May 29th web presentation and described the value of a collaborative approach to defining requirements for information systems. Among the initiatives and tools featured was the Institute's work on Common Ground, a program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, as well as the Institute publication, Taking Care of Business. To access the archived Grand Rounds webcast, click here.

Click on this link to download a copy of Taking Care of Business.

New Address for the Institute

On April 1st, the Institute staff moved to new office space at 325 Swanton Way in Decatur, Georgia. Our parent organization, the Task Force for Child Survival and Development, purchased this building to house our growing team, as well as the full complement of program staff that are a part of the Task Force.

The new building offers more in-house capability to host workgroup meetings and client training sessions on-site, with fully equipped conference and meeting space. Our new space is around the corner from the old office building, so we are still just a few minutes away from CDC and our colleagues at Emory University. Please note our new address: 325 Swanton Way, Decatur, Georgia 30030. Our phone numbers and email addresses remain the same.

Seeking Common Ground

What are the tasks of the public health organization and who performs them? How can we perform those tasks better? Do we need an information system to help us meet our goal? These are the questions that drive the agenda for the national program, Common Ground: Transforming Public Health Information Systems, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  Click here to read more about the Institute's Requirements Development Methodology and how we are applying it in the Common Ground program. The Institute has worked with state and local health departments to apply a collaborative approach to requirements development. For examples of our work in this area, download a copy of our publication, Taking Care of Business or refer to our Laboratory Information Management Systems Requirements Development Documents here. For a program overview of Common Ground and a list of grantees, download our fact sheet on Common Ground.

HIEs and Public Health: A Healthy Partnership

Knowledge of disease trends and other threats to health within a community can influence medical care provider decisions and the advice given to patients.  Providers benefit from timely, population-based information - information that public health could provide in every community. As an active participant in health information exchanges (HIEs), public health has an opportunity to fulfill this role. Released in Summer 2007, this publication builds upon the work of Information Links, a national grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Click here to read our brochure describing the five worthy aims for public health as an active partner in the HIE.

Sharing Stories of Progress and Success

Here is a calendar of recent and upcoming speaking engagements and conferences. At some of these events, Institute staff will present research findings and provide information about our projects and initiatives.