Director of STD Surveillance, Operations & Data Administration

Assignment Location: Primary Mentor: Secondary Mentor: Virginia Department of Health Richmond, Virginia Jeff Stover, MPH Director of STD Surveillance, Operations & Data Administration Virginia Department of Health Depends on project selected (see project specifics below) Mentor Information Jeff Stover, MPH Director of STD Surveillance, Operations & Data Administration (SODA) Division of Disease Prevention Office of Epidemiology Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Mr. Stover has 16+years experience managing public health informatics activities within the Division of Disease Prevention, including data systems, data management, GIS initiatives and data governance. The SODA program includes four branches: 1) Epidemiology & Surveillance; 2) Data Administration & Informatics; 3) Policy, Planning & Communications; and 4) Field Operations. He completed the AMIA 10x10 course in Public Health Informatics in 2008 and provides lectures in both Public Health Informatics and Disease Surveillance for MPH students at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He is experienced in Project Management activities for new surveillance related systems and has worked across multiple states to evaluate surveillance systems and data matching activities. He served as the agency GIS Technical Advisor for H1N1 surveillance and developed data quality business processes that improved STD reporting to the CDC. Mr. Stover served on the Commonwealth of Virginia's Business Intelligence (BI) Committee that worked to incorporate BI guidance for state agencies. Recent "informatics related" publications include: Stover, J., Kheirallah, K., Dolan, C., Delcher, C., Johnson, L. Improving Surveillance of Sexually Transmitted Infections Through Geocoded Morbidity Assignment. Public Health Reports. Volume 124. Supplement 2. November/December 2009. pp65 71. Jennings, J., Stover, J., Bair Merritt, M., Fichtenburg, C., Munoz, M., Maziad, R., Ketemepi, S., Zenilman, J. Identifing Barriers to the Integration of Computer based Surveillance Information Systems in a Large City Health Department: A Case study. Public Health Reports. Volume 124. Supplement 2. November/December 2009. pp39 48. Newman, L., Samuel M., Stenger M., Gerber T., Macomber K., Stover J., Wise W. Practical Consideration for Matching STF and HIV Surveillance Data with Other Data. Public Health Reports. Volume 124. Supplement 2. November/December 2009. pp7 17. Description of supervisory experience and current public health informatics duties. Mr. Stover has 17+ years of supervisory experience, including epidemiologists, data managers, informaticists and laboratory technicians. His current role includes oversight of informatics and

epidemiologic activities involving STD surveillance and HIV/HCV screening data systems, data merging/matching, epidemiologic analyses, HIV/STD specific electronic laboratory reporting (ELR) validation, importation and Meaningful use, field activities for STD/HIV patient follow up, and policy and communications development. He has served as faculty for the National STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers providing lectures on epidemiology and data management, as well as the state lead for an HIV GIS Workgroup. He served on planning committees for the 2014 STD Prevention Conference and the 2014 National Coalition of STD Directors Annual Meeting. Mr. Stover is also involved in the Office of Epidemiology's Informatics Working Group and is helping to co lead a workgroup to develop Informatics position classifications. Mr. Stover has served as an advisor and mentor to numerous MPH students from Virginia universities related to practicums, internships and Capstone projects during the past 6 years. He has served as a mentor for the 2013 and current 2014 CSTE/CDC Applied Public Health Informatics Fellows. He also serves on the VCU Assessment Committee, which aims to improve MPH student experiences, including assessment of courses, practicums and internships. Mr. Stover has serves as Adjunct and/or Affiliate Faculty at VCU since 2008. He lectures in various courses involving public health informatics and geographic information systems. Mr. Stover has also taught a 4 hour CME course on public health surveillance several times at VCU. Secondary Mentor: Dependent on project: Project #1: Implementation and Rollout of Maven: an Interoperability System for STD/HIV/TB/HCV Surveillance and Programmatic Collaboration Jennifer Loney, BS Manager, Data Administration & Informatics Jennifer Loney is the Data Administration & Informatics Manager for STD Surveillance, Operations & Data Administration (SODA), within the Division of Disease Prevention. She has been with the Division in various capacities for over 13 years. Mrs. Loney s informatics experience includes development of customized SQL scripts and data transformation services packages to address unique data issues associated with integrating data from four data systems. The data systems included a Foxpro system, the STD Management Information System (STD*MIS), and three SQL systems including the previous HIV Counseling, Testing, and Referral Services (CTRS) scan system. Such data integration expanded program capacity and provided comprehensive assessment of STDs. The most difficult challenges included the lack of a shared unique identifier among the data systems and the data conversion for comparability across systems. Mrs. Loney has also been involved in multiple projects regarding the development and/or enhancement of data systems to better meet programmatic needs. She is highly involved in the development of Maven, a web based application, which will replace STD*MIS and integrate other disease data including HIV/TB/Hepatitis. Recent "informatics related" publications include:

Vasiliu, O., Stover, J., Dolan, C., Bissette, J., Sirbu, C. Providing Mailing Cost Reimbursements: The Effect on Reporting Timeliness of Sexually Transmitted Infections. Public Health Reports. Volume 124. Supplement 2. November/December 2009. pp 78 86. Bissette, J., Stover, J., Newman, L., Delcher, C., Bernstein, K., Matthews, L. Assessment of Geographic Information Systems and Data Confidentiality Guidelines in STD Programs. Public Health Reports. Volume 124. Supplement 2. November/December 2009. pp 58 64. Rietmeijer, C., Donnelly, J., Bernstein, K., Bissette, J., Martins, S., Pathela, P., Schillinger, J., Stenger, M., Weinstock, H., Newman, L. Here Comes the SSuN: Early Experiences with the STD Surveillance Network. Public Health Reports. Volume 124. Supplement 2. November/December 2009. pp 72 77 Mrs. Loney is currently responsible for data system development and management; data management and analysis; and project management and planning. Her duties include: design and modification of databases to meet user needs in collecting, analyzing, reporting and data sharing; oversee development of business process documentation, workflow analyses, requirements gathering and business modeling; monitoring and evaluating operations, processes and practices for quality and effectiveness; and automating processes for importing and manipulation of data in respective data systems. She is responsible for developing and communicating protocols, procedures and standards relevant to programs, projects and data systems for data collection, analyses, evaluation, and quality assurance processes; creating and implementing project management procedures for enhanced surveillance activities, including program evaluation and reporting; and serving as a resource for effective means of meeting informatics needs. Mrs. Loney has over 10 years of supervisory experience including organizing, directing and reviewing the work of professional and technical staff; meeting with staff to identify and resolve problems; and assigning, monitoring reviewing and evaluation of work activities. Project #2: Implementing Enhanced Features in VEDSS Rebecca Early, MPH, C.H.E.S. VEDSS Manager Ms. Early has over 14 years experience in the public health field and more than five years of informatics experience. She provided business requirements, testing and validation for the provider registration system for orders of the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, the immunization component of VDH's Flu Dashboard, and VDH's Meaningful Use Registration System. She currently is responsible for overall system planning and policy development for VEDSS. She coordinates the division's efforts involving electronic laboratory reporting for Meaningful Use. She participates in the CSTE Electronic Laboratory and Disease reporting Subcommittee. Ms. Early has over 9 years of supervisory experience. Current public health informatics duties include overall system planning for VEDSS, including ensuring that VEDSS meets federal NEDSS standards and meets the epidemiologic and business needs of the users. She coordinates the evaluation of the system with four divisions in the Office of Epidemiology. She provides input and suggestions to CDC system developers and output needs to technical staff; she tests and validates enhancements and messaging into the system. She coordinates the division's efforts involving electronic laboratory reporting for Meaningful Use. She leads the Office of Epidemiology VEDSS Working Group, and participates in VDH's

Meaningful Use Working Group and Office of Epidemiology's Informatics Working Group. She also participates in the CSTE Electronic Laboratory and Disease Reporting Subcommittee. Ms. Early has several years of experience mentoring public health staff and graduate level public health students. Project #3: Hepatitis Interoperability across Multiple Programs Jennifer Loney, BS Manager, Data Administration & Informatics: See description above Assignment Description The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is the public health agency for the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is an executive branch agency within the Health and Human Resources Secretariat. VDH includes a central office in Richmond, Va and 35 health districts, which are comprised of one or more of Virginia's 39 cities and 95 counties. The VDH currently employees approximately 3,300 staff statewide. Federal cooperative agreements and statewide programs are typically administered from the central office. The Office of Epidemiology is physically located within the central office. The Office of Epidemiology is comprised of five divisions. The fellow will be physically located within the specific division that manages the primary project that is selected. Regardless of physical location, all staff will collaborate to provide a strong foundation and rewarding Fellowship experience. The Division of Disease Prevention and the Division of Surveillance and Investigation currently collaborate on numerous activities including electronic messaging, Geographic Information Systems mapping, geocoding, report development and business intelligence activities. The fellow will be involved in routine meetings of the Informatics Committee and the Meaningful Use Workgroup, which includes staff from both divisions, and will have access to numerous VDH staff with expertise in applied epidemiology principles and analyses. Day to Day Activities Day to day activities will involve individual work to develop plans, research solutions and carry out assigned activities, as well as group work to plan projects and contribute to decision making. One onone work is anticipated involving co workers with specialized knowledge in order to learn from them and collaborate on solutions. The fellow will be provided with opportunities to meet and work with local health department staff, the state laboratory and healthcare providers, based on relevance to the chosen projects. Opportunities to participate in multiple workgroups, committees and programmatic staff meetings will also be available. Potential Projects include: 1. Implementation and Rollout of Maven: an Interoperability System for STD/HIV/TB/HCV Surveillance and Programmatic Collaboration

The VDH Division of Disease Prevention (DDP) in currently in the implementation phase for a new interoperability system. The first phase of this implementation involves legacy database conversion and transitioning of STD surveillance data systems. The system will also include surveillance activities related to HIV, TB, and Hepatitis C, as well as healthcare linkage and retention components for HIV service delivery. System modeling will be finalized by the end of 2014. Legacy database conversion for the existing STD surveillance system, ELR implementation for STD/HIV labs, data extracts for CDC reporting and partner services, and statewide training for central office and local health department users will occur in 2015. The DDP has an existing APHI Fellow serving as the Project Lead; this assignment will end in August 2015. A new fellow will assume the Project Lead position, working with multiple DDP programs, other central office and local health department staff and the vendor, Consilience Software, Inc. (recently bought out by Xerox), to ensure the following: 1) appropriate pilot phase rollout for STD surveillance; 2) ELR rollout for specific laboratories; 3) infrastructure collaboration with the VDH Office of Information Management & HealthIT (OIM); 4) coordination of required reference files, such as providers, geo areas, and LOINC/SNOMED; 5) coordination of software/services acquisition activities; 6) development of business process flows and functional requirements for TB, Hepatitis C and HIV Care Services; 7) documentation management; 8) statewide training coordination; and 9) system evaluation, time permitting. The overarching implementation goals are to systematically improve STD/HIV/TB/HCV surveillance capacity and cross program linkages to healthcare, and to use applied epidemiologic and informatics approaches to enhance data driven policy development and public health outcomes. Primary Mentor: Jeff Stover MPH Director of STD Surveillance, Operations, & Data Administration (SODA), Division of Disease Prevention, Office of Epidemiology Secondary Mentor: Jennifer Loney Manager, Data Administration & Informatics, SODA, Division of Disease Prevention, Office of Epidemiology (Raid Mohaidat STD*MIS/Maven Data Manager and Merylyn Huitz Informaticist/ELR Coordinator will also contribute significantly to the experience) Public Health impact: PHI Competencies Addresses: Supports development of strategic direction for public health informatics within the enterprise; participates in development of knowledge management tools for the enterprise; used informatics standards; ensures that knowledge, information and data needs of project or program users are met; supports information system development, procurement, and implementation that meet public health program needs; manages IT

operations related to the project; communicates with cross disciplinary leaders and team members; evaluates information systems and applications; participates in applied public health informatics research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems; contributes to development of public health information systems that are interoperable with other relevant information systems; supports use of informatics to integrate clinical health, environmental risk and population health; implements solutions that ensure confidentiality, security, and integrity while maximizing availability of information for public health; conducts education and training in public health informatics. By the end of the 12 month fellowship, pilot site training and assessment will be completed, including relevant documentation requirements. By the end of the 12 month fellowship, a plan of action will be developed and documented for a phased in approach to LHD access to Maven. By the end of the 12 month fellowship, requirements gathering and functional requirements will be completed for the next module to be added to Maven (could be HIV care, TB or Hepatitis). Project activities/deliverables: The fellow will participate in LHD training of staff for Maven use in STD surveillance. The fellow will also perform an assessment of the pilot roll out with three LHDs. The fellow will develop a plan of action for phasing in additional LHDs to Maven. The fellow will also work with DDP program areas to gather functional requirements and development business process diagrams for integrating additional maven modules (i.e. HIV care, TB and/or Hepatitis). 2. Implementing Enhanced Features in VEDSS The NEDSS Base System (NBS) is the CDC developed National Electronic Disease Surveillance System and is used for disease surveillance in approximately 20 states. VEDSS is Virginia's installation of the NBS system, and is used by over 300 epidemiologists, communicable disease nurses and other public health staff throughout the state. The fellow would coordinate with these key stakeholder groups throughout the state, disease experts within the central office, and NBS managers in other states, to guide planning and decision making to implement enhancements. Disease modules will allow data collection to focus on condition specific data needs, minimizing the need for paper based collection forms and ensuring that the information is available for analysis. The ability to create rules within the system will provide efficiencies by automating aspects for record processing. Alerts will ensure that high priority findings receive immediate attention. All will require assessment of user needs, evaluating work that has already been done in other states, and designing the specific questions or rules for implementation in VEDSS.

Primary Mentor: Jeff Stover MPH Director of STD Surveillance, Operations, & Data Administration (SODA), Division of Disease Prevention, Office of Epidemiology Secondary Mentor: Rebecca Early, MPH, C.H.E.S VEDSS Manager Public Health impact: PHI Competencies Addressed: 1.1. Identifies relevant and appropriate data and information sources; 1.3. Applies data collection processes, information technology applications, and computer systems storage/retrieval strategies; 1.4. Analyzes business processes to support the redesign of public health informatics programs and business operations; 2.3. Applies communication strategies, including principled negotiation, conflict resolution, and active listening in the interactions with individuals and groups; 3.1. Establishes and maintains linkages with key stakeholders; 3.2. Assures that knowledge, information and data needs of project or program users and stakeholders are met; 4.1. Solves problems using knowledge of the historical development, structure and interaction of public health and health care systems; 4.2. Selects and utilizes planning and reporting; 5.1. Advocates for, or otherwise actively participates in, the development of integrated, cost effective public health information systems; 5.2. Applies appropriate public health informatics standards in all projects and systems; 5.3. Conducts public health informatics training consultations and other public health informatics capacity building activities. Project activities/deliverables: Requirements gathering with key stakeholders for disease specific module in VEDSS, Testing and validation of disease specific module in VEDSS Test system, and coordinating the implementation of disease specific module in VEDDS Production. 3. Hepatitis Data System Interoperability across Multiple Programs The Virginia Department of Health Hepatitis C activities are managed across multiple programs such as Immunization, Epidemiology and Surveillance. Although practical from a functional perspective, this results in hepatitis data spread out over many data

systems which limits the ability to easily assess all hepatitis program activities. An assessment to determine whether a common source for key hepatitis data is feasible will provide an actionable, data driven approach to enhancing OEPI s situational awareness of its hepatitis programs. Public Health impact: By July 2015, the project will establish cross program linkages using the Maven system for integration to enhance data driven evaluation, policy development and public health outcomes for Hepatitis C, as well as other hepatitides for public health planning and action. Project activities/deliverables: The fellow will provide functional requirements and information on the identification of variables across multiple programs and a cross walk of how such data could be incorporated into the Maven system. The fellow will produce and develop Hepatitis related documentation such as a data dictionary and documentation for the Maven system backend.