Overview
As the Covid-19 pandemic tore across the nation, states faced a shortage in the capacity to both control the spread of disease and manage the influx of Covid data. This was true for the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) as they struggled with efforts to box in the virus and build staff expertise to process Covid data. Faced with resource shortages, they turned to Altarum’s interoperability and disease surveillance expertise for support managing the data necessary to direct the state’s pandemic response.
Our Approach
Drawing on nearly two decades of experience supporting the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services disease surveillance and data reporting systems, Altarum stepped in to evaluate the Washington State DOH’s Covid-19 lab and case reporting needs. Given the urgency demanded by the pandemic, we were able quickly integrate with the Washington team, improve HL7 message processes, streamline the onboarding and monitoring of laboratories, train newly hired staff members, optimize reporting throughput, and enhance data feeds essential for reporting, modeling, and visualizing probable Covid-19 case data.
Results
Altarum’s staffing support of Washington State DOH’s Covid-19 surveillance and informatic efforts assisted the state’s response to the outbreak. Our technical and subject matter expertise in public health data interoperability and disease surveillance systems will continue to guide the state as it works to modernize its public health data systems and processes.
Contact Us
Jim Kamp - MBA, MA
Director, Strategic Partnerships, Public Health Systems
Areas of Expertise- Public Health Interoperability
- Health IT Project Management
- Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach
Jim Kamp has more than 30 years of combined experience in IT program management, including for government health care agencies. He leads projects for the Vital Records and Health Statistics Division of the state of Michigan to improve electronic birth reporting and for Washington state to improve ELR processing of Covid-19 data. He builds partnerships needed to advance interoperability at all levels of government and serves in leadership roles in the Michigan and Midwest chapters of HIMSS. Jim holds an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.