Comprised of public health leaders across 35 of the nation’s largest metropolitan health departments in the United States. This network discusses and addresses issues related to chronic diseases, like preventing and managing heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. A central focus of the BCHC is to decrease disease burden and health care costs while fostering community-led responses that improve public health outcomes. BCHC is membership-based.

The Chronic Disease Subcommittee aims to support Chronic Disease epidemiologists by providing targeted training and resources. It focuses on building capacity for chronic disease epidemiology. Members include Chronic Disease Epidemiologists and professionals at state, local, tribal, and territorial levels, as well as private-sector and academic settings. For more information about the Chronic Disease Subcommittee, please contact Preksha Malhotra at pmalhotra@cste.org.

The Surveillance Practice and Implementation Subcommittee covers practical public health surveillance issues, including topics related to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), reportable conditions, surveillance methods, and syndromic surveillance. The subcommittee develops and refines technical requirements, standards, and overall public health architecture through collaboration with various organizations and specialty workgroups. This group is membership-based. For more information about the Surveillance Practice and Implementation Subcommittee, please contact Becky Lampkins.

The CSTE Surveillance Policy Subcommittee is a forum for CSTE members to discuss and develop policy recommendations for public health surveillance. The subcommittee discusses issues like data sharing, re-release of data, and privacy regulations impacting surveillance practices; monitors and responds to changes in federal and state regulations affecting public health surveillance; and addresses policies regarding data sharing with the public, federal partners, and within state and territorial health departments. The Surveillance Policy Subcommittee ensures that public health surveillance practices are informed by relevant policies and regulations while protecting data privacy and promoting responsible data sharing and access. This is a membership-based group. For more information about the Surveillance Policy Subcommittee, please contact Ms. Taylor Pinsent. 

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Evaluation Learning (SEEL) Network (formerly known as the Epidemiology and Surveillance Interest Group) is a monthly forum for public health professionals working in surveillance, epidemiology, and evaluation to connect, share strategies, and learn from peers on a range of chronic disease surveillance topics—including data modernization, evaluation methods, and emerging tools. Complete the SEEL Network Registration Form to get started and help us grow this community.

The National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) Community of Practice (CoP) is a network of public health professionals focused on knowledge-sharing and advancing the utilization and efficacy of syndromic surveillance. Members include state, local, and federal health agencies, academia, and other organizations. Gatherings of the CoP are virtual, whereby members share best practices, tools, and expertise through various activities, including monthly calls, a Slack workspace, and a knowledge repository. This group is membership-based and open to all public health professionals wishing to engage with the CoP. To join, complete the form here.

The American Indian Data Community of Practice is a voluntary and evolving forum engaging data experts and stakeholders to exchange information, seek and offer consultation, share ideas, brainstorm for innovation, and pursue peer-to-peer collaborative initiatives related to American Indian people in Oklahoma. This Community of Practice (CoP) can be a valuable resource for tribal nations on guidance in using existing systems to improve chronic disease surveillance modernization.

A collaborative workgroup comprised of leaders from the U.S. territories and freely associated states (FAS) with federal agencies and partner organizations. Working group participants collectively address administrative challenges impacting public health outcomes in island jurisdictions, with a central focus on health equity, strengthening policies and procedures, and enhancing the capacity of island jurisdictions in data collection and workforce development. To be a part of the workgroup, members must be representatives from one of the five U.S. territories or the three Freely Associated States that ASTHO supports.

The Data Capacity Subgroup is part of the Island Areas Workgroup (IAW) that brings together representatives from island jurisdictions, federal agencies, and trusted partners to address key administrative challenges impacting health outcomes in island jurisdictions. The group aims to improve the representation of territorial and freely associated states within federal public health datasets. To be a part of the workgroup, you must be a representative from one of the five U.S. territories or the three Freely Associated States that ASTHO supports.

The Healthy Living and Prevention Workgroup provides input and guidance for NACCHO’s chronic disease prevention programs. Specifically, the workgroup explores ways in which (1) legislative and organizational policies; (2) physical, social, and economic environments; and (3) systems change impact the health of local communities and how local health department officials can position themselves as leaders in addressing chronic diseases and their risk factors through policy, systems, and environmental strategies. Local health department officials and programmatic health department staff interested in policy approaches in chronic disease prevention and/or community design and land use planning.

A collaborative network of states and organizations focused on intentional transformation of state-wide public health systems. Utilizing the Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) framework, 21C outlines the recommendations of essential services by public health departments by understanding a state’s approach to transformation, capacity, and cost assessments, and exploring opportunities for sustainability, workforce, and service sharing. Goals include strengthening infrastructure, performance, and trust across communities. This is a membership-based group. 21C states have specific requirements to participate. Email info@phaboard.org for more information.

Provides a forum for State and Territorial Health officials, informatics, and data modernization leaders, such as informatics directors and DMI directors, as well as staff who support the informatics and data modernization efforts in their health department. The IDMN provides a venue for members to share and discuss informatics and data modernization initiatives, innovations, opportunities, resources, and best practices. To join, find out who from your state already participates, get approval from your state health official, and email the ASTHO membership team at membership@astho.org.

The ePublic Health and Informatics Workgroup provides leadership, guidance, and support to NACCHO’s efforts to increase the capacity of local health departments to use data, information, and technology to improve public health. The workgroup aims to build local health department (LHD) capacity to collect, analyze, use, and share health data. Membership is open to LHD officials, informatics professionals, and program staff involved in informatics. To join, an application is needed for the Subject Matter Expert Advisory Workgroup.

The PHIG Local Workforce Directors Peer Network is a collaborative effort by the Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) in close collaboration with ASTHO, NACCHO, and other PHIG technical assistance (TA) partners to support leadership across 49 local PHIG jurisdictions. This peer network strives to amplify the success and impact of federally funded programs and initiatives that strengthen local jurisdictions’ public health workforce and infrastructure. This network is open to workforce directors in the 49 local jurisdictions. Please email juliano@bigcitieshealth.org or lgilmore@bigcitieshealth.org for more information.

This network, comprised of data analysts and support staff, provides a shared learning space with opportunities for knowledge exchange, peer review, and access to a repository of data evaluation resources and tools. It is membership-based. To join, email Asha Bell.

The learning community aims to foster collaboration, networking, and peer learning. It is open to any staff member from a public health agency, as well as federal and national partners, working in data modernization across state, tribal, local, and territorial agencies. Registration is required to join. Interested participants should register here.

Networks in which current members can exchange information on a particular area of special interest in biomedical and health informatics. Each Working Group extends to an online community in which members discuss key issues and developments in the field. For more information, click here.