Siloed to Seamless: From Siloed to Seamless: How Altarum Helped KDHE Prepare to Modernize its Public Health Infrastructure
Data modernization, including interoperability and integration of public health data systems, is essential to improving population health and care delivery. Yet, many states struggle with fragmented systems that hinder efficiency and slow responsiveness.
Recognizing this, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) turned to Altarum to provide the insight, guidance and support needed to move from a siloed system to a connected, resilient, adaptable, and sustainable response-ready data ecosystem.
“It was much more than simply providing training,” explains Mark Gaines, IT Project Manager, Public Health Interoperability and IT Systems “We equipped them with knowledge, and we also offered a detailed roadmap with practical guidance on how achieve their goals.”
Why Altarum?
Specifically, KDHE contracted with Altarum to assess data governance, system interoperability, and staff skills. We had the experience and capabilities to jump right in. We had already completed assessments and roadmaps for public health authorities in Kentucky, Rhode Island, Indiana, Washington D.C., Oregon, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Tennessee, Hawaii, Minnesota and Nebraska.
Our Approach
Altarum’s first step was to become familiar with KDHE’s current systems, data exchange processes, and staff capabilities. Only then could they understand how to use these systems effectively.
Project 1: Data Governance Structure Review and Development
We conducted a security risk assessment to find areas where KDHE could better protect patient data. We used the freely available, Altarum-developed security assessment tool (ASTP/ONC SRA Tool) Altarum had previously developed for the ASTP/ONC. Using the SRA Tool, we were able to clearly identify gaps and highlight areas that require additional procedures to strengthen the existing process.
Once the assessment was in place, we worked with KDHE to:
- Create an innovation-management process to introduce new technology and software to employees, and
- Develop a standardized framework for data use and data sharing agreements across the department, replacing disparate processes with a unified, cross-department approach.
Project 2: Staff Skills Assessment and Training
Altarum then set out to assess staff skills and identify training resources. The Altarum team sent a survey to all KDHE staff to self-identify their strengths and weaknesses across 14 different subject areas. The survey also identified transferable skills that could be used across different departments, especially during times of funding changes or resource reallocation.
From there, we:
- Completed a gap analysis to identify what training content the KDHE needed,
- Developed a training hub website that included training materials and guidance to help staff improve their skills and access necessary information; we also provided guidance on housing and distributing these materials, and
- Conducted follow-up end-of-year surveys to assess improvements and collect employee feedback.
Project 3: Technical Data Systems Assessment
For the third part of the project, we conducted a comprehensive systems assessment to document KDHE’s current interoperability capabilities, followed by practical guidance for both long-term and short-term improvement.
The assessment process included the following:
- Surveys of program directors across KDHE to get a high-level overview,
- Focus group discussions with subject matter experts,
- A deep dive analysis of two programs,
- Development of action plans, and
- Creation of 10 value stream maps, offering visual representation of current state and future state processes, making it easy for KDHE to focus on identified inefficiencies and implement our recommended improvements.
The Impact: Ready for the Future
Altarum assessed their systems and identified areas that needed action, but we didn’t stop there. We gave them a roadmap, along with the necessary tools and guidance, to support their long-term modernization goals. This final roadmap outlined specific recommendations for improvement, allowing KDHE to:
- Anticipate and proactively respond to public health challenges,
- Strengthen governance and security across multiple departments, and
- Streamline processes for greater efficiency and improved data sharing.
This roadmap identified future initiatives, goals, objectives, and recommendations that KDHE could apply to other systems for detailed assessments. And it even included estimates of how long it would take the KDHE team to implement each recommendation.
In-person, on-site collaboration contributed to our success. It helped that we went on site and got to know the team. Working this closely with the KDHE team helped us fully understand pain points and needs. This allowed us to develop more effective recommendations and solutions tailored to KDHE's specific requirements.
An assessment alone would not have accomplished this.
“A key difference is that while KDHE had undergone an assessment before, they had not received clear recommendations on how to move forward,” explains Michael Yaskanin, Senior Product Manager, Public Health Interoperability and IT Systems. “We provided them with a clear path to get where they need to be.”
Next Steps
KDHE plans to begin implementing the recommendations in 2025. Its overall goal is to achieve a modernized, secure, interoperable data ecosystem that brings value to those they serve, and to cultivate a workforce that excels in a modern data environment. Altarum’s Data Modernization Team has equipped them to achieve both.