Common Ground

 

Understanding and defining the business processes and tasks of a public health agency can help improve the impact of community health programs and define efficiencies. Business process analysis provides an optimal first step in setting forth requirements for health information systems that support key functions and activities of local health departments (LHDs).

Through funding by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Common Ground program aims to transform public health information systems by providing an opportunity for LHDs to understand their business processes and develop a set of requirements for the information systems that support those processes.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded 31 grants in December 2007, divided among the following three program areas:

• Informatics Capacity;
• Requirements Development for Chronic Disease programs; and
• Requirements Development for Public Health Preparedness.

The Public Health Informatics Institute is the national program office for the program. NACCHO is a strategic partner of the program.

LHDs must understand their business processes to develop the core capacity and information technology infrastructure necessary to adhere to the Operational Definition of a Local Public Health System and the 10 Essential Public Health Services, as well as current public health data standards and data exchange requirements set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.