Senator Proposes New Agency to Collate, Manage Public Health Data

Sen. Mitt Romney has proposed creating a new agency that would be tasked with improving health data access, securing infectious disease intelligence and strengthening public health preparedness.

According to a press release from Romney, the proposed Center for Public Health Data would collect electronic information from agencies, laboratories, clinics and hospitals. The organization would also make data accessible in real-time for decision-making purposes.

Public health data would be accessible to all levels of government, hospitals, health researchers and the general public through an online platform, FCW reported.

CPHD would only gather data related to community-acquired infectious diseases. The agency would not make recommendations and would not collect personally identifiable information.

The center would also modernize public health data infrastructure, improve interoperability and improve information sharing by partnering with states, localities and entities from the private and public sectors.

Deborah Birx, a former White House coronavirus response coordinator, said the envisioned CPHD could transform the health care sector’s ability to respond effectively and allow the public to thrive in future health crises. She added that the center would make the spread of infectious diseases in communities visible.

Other health officials, including former COVID-19 Task Force member Joseph Grogan and former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, have expressed support for the proposed organization.