[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 69 (Monday, April 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17674-17675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9043]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Statement of 
Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority

    Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the 
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of 
the Department of Health and Human Services (45 FR 67772-76, dated 
October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, October 20, 1980, as 
amended most recently at 64 FR 8396, dated February 19, 1999) is 
amended to reflect the restructuring of the Division of Public Health 
Surveillance and Informatics, Epidemiology Program Office (EPO), 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    Section C-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as 
follows:
    Delete the functional statement for the Division of Public Health 
Surveillance and Informatics (CB5) and insert the following:
    (1) Collects, performs analyses, and disseminates public health 
surveillance information; (2) manages and operates the National 
Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS), the 
National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), and the 121 
Cities Mortality Reporting System; plans, coordinates, and produces 
tables, graphs, maps, and figures for the ``Annual Morbidity and 
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Summary of Notifiable Diseases, U.S.'' 
and produces MMWR tables from NNDSS; (3) coordinates, develops, 
implements, and supports CDC-wide public health information systems, 
including informational and communications applications, directly, as 
well as in collaboration with other Centers/Institute/Offices (CIOs); 
(4) develops improved surveillance and public health informatics 
methods; (5) provides consultation, technical assistance, and training 
on public health surveillance and health information systems to CDC and 
to other agencies and domestic and international organizations; (6) 
coordinates activities of the CDC Surveillance Coordination Group; (7) 
provides policy and staff support for CDC's Health Information and 
Surveillance Systems Board; (8) coordinates a CDC-wide initiative aimed 
at building State and local capacity to perform the core public health 
function of assessment and use of data for policy development and 
assurance; (9) provides program support for the development and 
administration of a CDC training effort in public health informatics; 
and (10) provides guidance and supervision to EIS Officers and 
Preventive Medicine Residents assigned to the Division.
    Delete the functional statement for the Office of the Director 
(CB51) and insert the following:
    (1) Provides leadership and overall direction for the Division; (2) 
provides leadership and guidance on policy, program planning, program 
management, and operations; (3) establishes Division goals, objectives, 
and priorities; (4) monitors progress in implementation of projects and 
achievement of objectives; (5) provides management, administrative, and 
support services, and coordinates with appropriate EPO offices on 
program and administrative matters; (6) provides liaison with other CDC 
organizations, other governmental agencies, international 
organizations, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, 
and other constituent groups and partners; (7) provides leadership and 
direction, in collaboration with other CIOs, in the planning and 
development of computer software for use in surveillance and 
epidemiology, including testing and revising computer programs; (8) 
disseminates software for use by public health professionals; (9) 
plans, allocates, and monitors resources; (10) provides scientific 
leadership and guidance to the Division to assure highest scientific 
quality and ethical standards; (11) serves as the Executive Secretariat 
for CDC's Health Information and Surveillance Systems Board; (12) 
provides policy support to the Board, including coordination of the 
activities of the Board's subcommittees and work groups; (13) provides 
technical assistance, consultation, and guidance to the Board, CDC 
programs, and constituents on issues related to public health 
surveillance and health information systems and the Internet; and (14) 
plans and coordinates the activities of the CDC Surveillance 
Coordination Group.
    Delete in their entirety the title and functional statement for the 
Public Health Information Systems Branch (CB53) and insert the 
following:
    Applied Sciences Branch (CB54). (1) Provides scientific and 
epidemiologic leadership and direction in public health surveillance 
and health information systems to CDC and to other agencies and 
domestic and international organizations; (2) researches and develops 
new and innovative approaches to the use of technology in surveillance 
activities; (3) provides guidelines for development, evaluation, and 
integration of NETSS and other CDC surveillance systems; (4) promotes 
the dissemination and use of surveillance data; (5) evaluates 
applicability of outside standards and standard vocabularies to CDC 
data needs; (6) provides guidance and supervision to EIS Officers, 
Preventive Medicine Residents, and Public Health Practice Specialists; 
(7) coordinates a CDC-wide initiative aimed at building

[[Page 17675]]

State and local capacity to perform the core public health function of 
assessment and use of data for policy development and assurance; (8) 
responsible for management and technical assistance of the Assessment 
Initiative Cooperative Agreement; (9) provides program support for the 
development and administration of a CDC training effort in public 
health informatics; (10) designs curriculum and experiences for the CDC 
Public Health Informatics Fellowship; and (11) recruits candidates and 
provides supervision and oversite for the CDC Public Health Informatics 
Fellows.
    Information Technology Branch (CB57). (1) Coordinates, designs, 
develops, implements, and supports CDC-wide public health, 
epidemiologic, scientific, and laboratory information systems, 
including database, informational, and communications applications, in 
collaboration with other CDC organizations with subject matter 
expertise and responsibility; (2) collaborates with CDC organizations 
to jointly develop, test, and implement CDC-wide public health 
information systems; (3) participates in the development or 
implementation of CDC plans for public health information systems; (4) 
researches and develops new and innovative approaches to public health 
applications development and database design; (5) determines 
appropriate technology architecture and methodology for Branch-
developed systems; (6) maintains inventories and data dictionaries of 
CDC's public health data; (7) develops and recommends approaches for 
public health systems and interfaces between various information 
technologies for sharing data and performing cooperative applications 
processing; (8) determines, in consultation with CDC organizations and 
the CDC Systems Security Officer, applicable database and applications 
security measures in accordance with sensitivity and criticality of the 
data or system; (9) directly, as well as in collaboration with other 
CIOs, evaluates and recommends CDC-wide equipment and software 
acquisition for public health database and communications systems; (10) 
coordinates the provision of technical support and training in the use 
of CDC-wide public health information systems purchased or developed by 
the Branch; and (11) coordinates public health information resource 
management user groups.
    Delete in their entirety the title and functional statement for the 
Systems Operation and Information Branch (CB59) and insert the 
following:
    Surveillance Systems Branch (CB5A). (1) Provides support, technical 
assistance, and training for new, developmental systems and software 
for use in surveillance and epidemiology; (2) directly, as well as in 
collaboration with other CIOs, provides support, technical assistance, 
consultation, and training on computerized surveillance system 
development, maintenance, and operation for CDC, States, and 
international organizations; (3) provides service and support in the 
expansion of the NETSS; (4) plans and coordinates State-supported 
activities related to the NETSS; (5) analyzes needs and designs 
computer systems for use by public health professionals in the 
effective practice of public health surveillance and epidemiology; (6) 
assures user support for programs developed and released by the 
Division; (7) operates and maintains the NETSS, the NNDSS, and the 121 
Cities Mortality Reporting System; (8) provides service and support to 
other CDC programs and State and local health departments to enable 
program-specific surveillance information to be collected and 
disseminated through the NETSS; (9) provides support, technical 
assistance, consultation, and training on surveillance system 
development, maintenance, and operation for CDC, States, and 
international organizations; (10) provides leadership and direction in 
the development of mainframe systems for use in surveillance and 
epidemiology, directly, as well as in collaboration with other CIOs; 
(11) plans, coordinates, and produces tables, graphs, maps, and figures 
for the Annual MMWR Summary of Notifiable Diseases, U.S.; (12) produces 
MMWR tables from NNDSS; (13) plans, coordinates and develops training 
and educational materials for all surveillance systems; (14) provides 
guidance in the development, implementation, and analysis of electronic 
public health data to international, State, and local groups; and (15) 
creates, maintains, disseminates, and archives historical public health 
data in an electronic format.

    Dated: April 1, 1999.
Jeffrey P. Koplan,
Director.
[FR Doc. 99-9043 Filed 4-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-18-M