Field a survey to assess the status of data modernization initiatives throughout the public health laboratory community. The survey will collect information about data modernization projects and funding; challenges and successes; and the organizational structure for data modernization planning and rollout. From this survey, we hope to identify common themes, projects, and priorities across public health laboratory modernization, as well as opportunities to act collectively, to learn from one another, or to develop shared solutions. The results of the survey will inform the priorities for the subcommittee in calendar year 2026
Launch a centralized online library providing informatics specific training resources and professional development resources for current and aspiring public health laboratory informaticists. This work will include the curation of training modules covering core competencies, along with conducting a workforce survey to gather data on positions, skills gaps, compensation, and team augmentation strategies aimed at aiding public health laboratory informatics lab divisions. Resources are to be shared and hosted via Confluence, ColLABorate, and the Public Health Interoperability Training Catalog.
Guide public health laboratories through the interconnected requirements of TEFCA, health information technology policy, and FHIR to achieve meaningful interoperability with information systems while evaluating the vision of the HHS health IT ecosystem’s impact on labs. This will be accomplished by publishing a document that highlights the interconnectedness of these three areas while providing comments on the lab's role in the larger ecosystem and providing supplemental information to the implementation of FHIR in public health laboratories.
Develop a multi-lab collaborative framework for sharing informatics resources, expertise, and infrastructure to reduce costs and improve sustainability. This work will include the development of three community forums led by the committee aimed at addressing the major pressing constraints on informatics programs along with the development of a shared library of resources for community consumption via Confluence and ColLABorate.
Investigate and summarize practical, real-world applications of AI within public health laboratory informatics systems and operations, with a focus on electronic laboratory reporting, test ordering and results, and routine operations. This will be accomplished via publishing a foundational document assessing current and potential use cases, provide cometary on the benefits and risks and compile considerations for future adoption in public health laboratory settings that will help inform interested parties on realistic paths to explore AI without overpromising capabilities.