Architecting Federal Public Health with the CDC Technical Reference Architecture

Public health informatics is supported by a complex web of information technology (IT) systems, databases, applications and networks. In the face of such complexity, how do large public health organizations drive public health impact through digital transformation and technology modernization? We present how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. federal public health agency, used Enterprise Architecture to codify principles, standards and preferred solutions into a consolidated Technical Reference Architecture (CDC TRA). Previously, a system designer might spend months on detailed project preparation, only to have their technology architecture rejected by governance or subjected to a time-intensive and expensive retrofit. Thanks to CDC TRA, anyone at the agency can view enumerated technical standards at the start of a project. During this session, we will briefly overview the federal health architecture, public health informatics and the data modernization initiative. Next, we will show the publicly accessible version of the CDC TRA, with an emphasis on how it is used in enterprise and local governance. Finally, we will discuss lessons learned applicable to mid- to large-sized enterprises engaged in their own health informatics modernization initiatives, and how enterprise architecture is a driver of technology transformation.