[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 208 (Friday, October 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65386-65389]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26283]



[[Page 65386]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

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 77 FR 53889-53890, dated September 4, 2012) is 
amended to reorganize the Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and 
Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Section C-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as 
follows:
    Delete in its entirety the titles and functional statements for the 
Public Health Informatics and Technology Program (CPH), and the Public 
Health Surveillance Program Office (CPJ) and insert the following:
    Public Health Surveillance and Informatics Program Office (CPM). 
The mission of the Public Health Surveillance and Informatics Program 
Office (PHSIPO) is to advance the science and practice of public health 
surveillance and informatics. PHISPO (1) manages public health 
surveillance systems with cross-cutting utility for multiple CDC 
programs, and (2) serves as a focal point at CDC for addressing common 
issues, fostering innovation, and advancing best practices in the 
fields of public health surveillance and informatics. The disciplines 
of public health surveillance and informatics are strongly inter-
related. Informatics concerns the collection, classification, storage, 
and retrieval and dissemination of recorded knowledge. Surveillance 
involves the collection, management, analysis, interpretation, and 
dissemination of information about the health of populations in order 
to inform and guide public health programs. PHISPO strives to improve 
the usefulness and the impact of public health surveillance and to 
improve information and knowledge management across the public health 
enterprise information technology and health information exchange, in 
public health surveillance and informatics.
    Office of the Director (CPM1). (1) Leads the development of policy, 
long-range plans, and programs of the Public Health Surveillance and 
Informatics Program Office (PHSIPO); (2) serves as the focus for 
addressing common surveillance and informatics issues faced by programs 
across CDC; (3) identifies and disseminates evidence-based information 
regarding best practices for public health surveillance and information 
management; (4) plans, directs, enhances and collaboratively supports 
national surveillance programs and information technology initiatives, 
including the use of electronic health records, improving the nation's 
capability to monitor disease and provide public health situational 
awareness; (5) develops, recommends or implements policies and 
procedures relating to information management, informatics resource 
management and support services as appropriate; (6) facilitates 
coordination of surveillance and informatics activities across local, 
state, federal jurisdictions/agencies; (7) contributes to surveillance 
and informatics functions that are part of CDC's public health 
preparedness and response activities; (8) promotes a multidisciplinary 
approach (epidemiology, statistics, informatics, program evaluation, 
economic, qualitative, etc.) to assure that CDC surveillance and 
information systems serve public health program objectives; (9) 
coordinates the establishment and maintenance of internal CDC processes 
for decision-making regarding shared surveillance and informatics 
policies, practices, standards, and services that have applicability 
throughout CDC; (10) optimizes the portfolio of CDC's informatics and 
surveillance projects and systems by identifying and facilitating 
opportunities for cross-coordinating National Center/Institute/Office 
collaboration in order to leverage investments and promote efficiency 
and integration; and (11) collaborates and coordinates with all CDC 
organizations on informatics and health information technology issues 
and works closely with the Office of the Chief Information Officer on 
the interrelationships between informatics and information technology 
services, security, and information technology capital planning.
    Business Management Activity (CPM12). (1) Provides leadership, 
oversight, and guidance in the management and operations of PHSIPO 
programs; (2) plans, coordinates, and provides administrative 
management support, advice, and guidance to the PHSIPO, involving the 
areas of fiscal management, procurement, property management, 
personnel, travel, and other administrative services; (3) coordinates 
the development of annual budget request; (4) conducts management 
analyses of the program office and programs and staff to ensure optimal 
utilization of resources and accomplishment of program objectives; (5) 
plans, allocates, and monitors resources; (6) maintains liaison and 
collaborates with other CDC components and external organizations in 
support of the program office management and operations; (7) works 
closely with other federal agencies involved with interagency 
agreements; (8) coordinates program office requirements relating to 
procurement, grants, cooperative agreements, material management, and 
interagency agreements; (9) provides fiscal management and stewardship 
of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements; and (10) develops and 
implements administrative policies, procedures, and operations, as 
appropriate for the program office, and prepares special reports and 
studies, as required, in the administrative management areas.
    Informatics Research and Development Activity (CPM13). (1) Advances 
the field of public health informatics through applied research and 
innovation; (2) collaborates with members of CDC programs as well as 
the broader public health community to develop innovative technologies 
and techniques to positively impact public health practice; (3) 
transitions new informatics solutions and techniques to the appropriate 
public health programs for deployment and implementation; (4) provides 
the program office, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory 
Services (OSELS), CDC, and its external research and public health 
partners, consultation, guidance, support, and insight into the use of 
new informatics solutions for public health practice; (5) leverages its 
resources to rapidly create prototypes and examine hypotheses generated 
by the program office, OSELS, CDC, and its external research and public 
health partners; (6) provides OSELS and CDC an optimal (i.e., flexible 
and scalable) environment for the rapid development of prototype public 
health informatics solutions for testing and evaluation purposes; (7) 
performs relevant knowledge dissemination to CDC and its partners via 
multiple modalities, including presentations, manuscripts, and Web-
based content; (8) provides education to fellows, colleagues, and 
partners on the tools/techniques/methodologies used by the Informatics 
Research and Development Activity (IRDA); and (9) provides regular 
updates to the program office and OSELS leadership as to the status of 
all projects in the technology

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lab including both internal (IRDA) and external (non-IRDA CDC 
programs).
    Biosurveillance Coordination Activities (CPM14). (1) Enhances the 
nation's biosurveillance capability by leading the development of a 
national biosurveillance strategy for human health which establishes 
priorities for the nation's next-generation biostuyeillance capability 
and provides timely, comprehensive, and accessible information to 
strengthen public health practice, provide value to clinicians, and 
builds upon current systems and resources; (2) establishes and 
maintains relationships across CDC and with external partners in other 
federal agencies, state, local, tribal, territorial, international 
surveillance organizations, and health care organizations and 
practitioners, to inform the direction and management of the 
biosurveillance enterprise; (3) links subject matter experts to efforts 
to support biosurveillance practice and development; (4) provides 
leadership for and outreach to biosurveillance stakeholders external to 
CDC; (5) provides oversight or manages federal advisory committees/
subcommittees, including representatives from state and local 
government public health authorities, public and private 
biosurveillance stakeholders, and appropriate private sector health 
care entities; (6) establishes and maintains a national registry of 
biosurveillance systems, programs, collaboratives, registries, and 
tools; and (7) provides advice and guidance to CDC programs in order to 
advance the science of biosurveillance and promote effective use of 
biosurveillance information in meeting CDC's mission.
    Division of Behavioral Surveillance (CPMB). (1) Plans and directs 
all activities related to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance 
System (BRFSS), a state-based nationwide population survey focused on 
chronic conditions and risk behaviors and the largest telephone-based 
health survey in the world; (2) coordinates BRFSS surveillance 
activities across all states and CDC programs; (3) provides support to 
build state capacity for BRFSS survey operations and data management, 
and for the analysis, dissemination, and use of the data by state 
agencies and universities to set public health priorities and monitor 
public health programs; (4) develops guidelines and criteria for the 
enhancement of behavioral risk factor surveys at the state and local 
level; (5) delivers timely behavioral risk factor data of high validity 
and reliability to CDC scientists, the national public health 
community, and the general public; (6) supports and enhances analysis 
and dissemination of information from the BRFSS to promote the broad 
use and application of BRFSS results and findings by policy and 
decision makers, public health professionals, and other relevant 
audiences through communication channels and formats appropriate to 
these constituencies; (7) plans and coordinates cross cutting research 
related to survey methodology; (8) provides scientific leadership and 
guidance to surveillance programs to assure highest scientific quality 
and professional standards related to BRFSS; (9) provides leadership to 
CDC and other organizations to support effective and flexible public 
health surveillance for health conditions, including rapidly emerging 
public health threats; (10) builds and manages mental health surveys 
and provides support to the states for the collection and use of 
population data on mental health; and (11) provides administrative and 
management support, as required, for states and territories including 
oversight of BRFSS and other grants, cooperative agreements, and 
reimbursable agreements.
    Division of Notifiable Diseases and Healthcare Information (CPMC). 
(1) Provides leadership to OSELS, CDC, and other organizations to 
promote and support effective public health surveillance for notifiable 
diseases and conditions; (2) facilitates and advances the integration 
of informatics, epidemiologic, and statistical methods in developing 
the use of automated healthcare information systems for situation 
awareness, public health surveillance, and population health; (3) 
coordinates activities associated with automated health-related data, 
public health syndromic surveillance and monitoring diseases that are 
reportable under state laws; (4) provides epidemiologic and statistical 
assistance and consultation in support of automated healthcare 
(including syndromic), health-related data, and notifiable conditions 
surveillance; (5) implements innovative technological and statistical 
techniques for analysis and reporting of public health surveillance 
data; (6) interacts with other CDC organizations, other governmental 
agencies, private organizations, and other outside groups in developing 
and promoting the use of automated healthcare information systems for 
surveillance purposes; (7) promotes the objective that public health 
program goals guide the development of new surveillance methods and the 
operation of national surveillance systems managed by the division; (8) 
reports surveillance information to inform public health interventions; 
and (9) supports and conducts research and evaluation projects that 
improve the ability of public health practitioners to use automated 
healthcare information for surveillance.
    Office of the Director (CPMC1). (1) Plans, directs, coordinates, 
and manages the operations of the Division of Notifiable Diseases and 
Healthcare Information; (2) develops strategy, priorities, goals and 
objectives and provides leadership in policy formulation, 
communications, and guidance in program planning and development; (3) 
facilitates the science of the division and undertakes special 
scientific activities; (4) promotes active engagement with stakeholders 
and communities of practice; (5) coordinates division activities with 
other components of PHSPO, OSELS, CDC and other federal agencies; and 
(6) coordinates compliance with Office of Management and Budget and 
responses to the General Accountability Office.
    Surveillance and Analysis Branch (CPMCB). (1) Oversees national 
surveillance and situation awareness actively used for public or 
population health practice and decision-making; (2) supports and 
conducts applied research and development activities, and evaluation 
projects that improve the ability of public health practitioners to use 
and analyze automated healthcare and health-related information for 
surveillance and situation awareness; (3) implements and develops new 
and innovative surveillance methods, and statistical or informatics 
tools used for surveillance; (4) fosters innovation, implementation and 
translation of research findings and best practices; (5) conducts 
surveillance evaluations; (6) provides epidemiologic assistance and 
consultation in support of automated healthcare (including syndromic) 
and notifiable conditions surveillance; (7) provides development and 
support for extramural activities, including cooperative agreements and 
grants; (8) coordinates technical assistance and consultations for 
major projects with key public health partners; (9) enhances and 
maintains partnerships with other federal agencies, state and local 
public health departments, national organizations, health plans, care 
networks, and regional health information networks to meet public 
health surveillance and informatics needs; (10) coordinates partner 
interactions and communications; (11) assures administrative and 
budgetary data is available on a timely basis and

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in readily available formats for scientific staff.
    Information Systems and Statistical Support Branch (CPMCC). (1) 
Provides statistical analysis and consultation, information management 
and dissemination services; (2) manages informatics interaction with 
other units within OSELS and other units within CDC which oversee 
surveillance practice; (3) facilitates and advances the integration of 
informatics, epidemiologic, and statistical methods and tools in 
developing the use of automated healthcare and health-related 
information systems in public health surveillance; (4) facilitates 
systems IT development, operations and maintenance; (5) oversees 
activities associated with information technology aspects and 
informatics processes of data collection, processing, reporting, 
management and sharing (includes hardware and software, systems 
certification); (6) oversees statistical support, data quality 
assessment, and data management of surveillance systems managed by the 
division, (7) fosters innovation, implementation and translation of 
informatics tools and methods and best practices; (8) provides 
development and support for extramural activities, including contracts; 
(9) promotes the coordination, evaluation, and integration of public 
health surveillance programs across CDC and public health partners; and 
(10) assures administrative and budgetary data is available on a timely 
basis and in readily available formats for scientific staff.
    Division of Informatics Practice, Policy and Coordination (CPMD). 
(1) Establishes and maintains relationships for public health 
informatics across CDC, with partners and with other health care 
entities; (2) provides expertise and support to CDC staff, partners, 
and other health care entities on informatics methods, processes, 
policies, and standards; (3) promotes health standards and facilitates 
forums across CDC, sectors, and other federal agencies to ensure 
efficient data exchange, interoperability of systems, and consistent 
implementation of methods and policy; (4) promotes the interests of 
public health in the development of informatics standards (working with 
federal, state and local, and private sector initiatives and 
organizations) and initiatives (e.g. electronic health records, the 
Nationwide Health Information Network) to ensure the availability and 
utilization of expanded health data for public health purposes; (5) 
enhances the ability of public health officials to access and use data, 
information, systems, and technologies collected through traditional 
and non-traditional information systems, and through developing 
approaches to allow access while protecting privacy, confidentiality, 
and intellectual property rights; (6) enhances and maintains 
partnerships with other federal agencies, state and local public health 
departments, national organizations, health plans, care networks, 
regional health information exchanges to meet public health informatics 
needs; and (7) works towards more efficient and effective public health 
information systems by aligning informatics solutions with health 
information technology policies and translating emerging science, 
research and learning into practice.
    Office of the Director (CPMD1). (1) Provides overall vision and 
strategic direction of the Division of Informatics Practice, Policy and 
Coordination (DIPPC) activities; (2) plans, directs, coordinates, 
implements, and manages DIPPC operational activities; (3) provides 
financial oversight of DIPPC activities; (4) provides division-level 
oversight to assure use of scientifically sound systems initiation and 
operation principles for programs and projects; (5) provides division-
level oversight and management of scientific clearance process; (6) 
assures division-level adherence to Instructional Review Board (IRB), 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and other policy issues; (7) 
facilitates best practices for project management within the division; 
(8) provides operational oversight of Project Portfolio for OSELS to 
assure optimal resource utilization; (9) coordinates and facilitates 
division-level Capital Planning and Investment Control process issues; 
(10) evaluates, designs, and deploys, where appropriate, division-level 
processes, products and system for project management and system 
development; (11) assures the sharing of consistent, audience-
appropriate, and high quality information relating to division-level 
activities, including Web-based, audio, video, and print-based media; 
(12) provides coordination of division-level activities relating to 
congressional inquiries and media entities; (13) facilitates division-
level information sharing and relationship management activities 
internally to agency and externally to partners; and (14) facilitates 
preliminary development of project proposals by CDC and external 
partners.
    Informatics Strategy and Translation Branch (CPMDB). (1) Provides 
the critical role of informatics translation for the Public Health 
Surveillance and Informatics Program Office (PHSIPO); (2) develops 
strategies to bridge the Information Research and Development Activity 
(IRDA) activities with the translation efforts in the branch to further 
the mission of OSELS while ensuring alignment with national efforts; 
(3) examines (with the support of IRDA) new informatics techniques and 
methods to address public health priorities and problem areas; (4) 
provides oversight and coordination of informatics activities of the 
Centers of Excellence and Health Information Exchanges to support the 
translation of applied science and to ensure dissemination to the 
public health Informatics community at large; (5) provides support in 
the translation of any prototype informatics research product (i.e., 
created by OSELS, internal or external CDC partners) to public health 
practice (i.e., full deployment and implementation) by providing the 
critical expertise to assure that in the translation process, 
appropriate data, systems, and architecture standards are leveraged 
appropriately; (6) participates on various standards committees to 
ensure the availability and utilization of expanded health data for 
public health purposes and ensure information is promulgated to 
appropriate public health partners and related programs; (7) works 
closely with the OSELS policy director on the coordination on health 
information technology policies (e.g. electronic health records, the 
Federal Health Architecture, Nationwide Health Information Network); 
and (8) consults and coordinates with the Division of Informatics 
Solutions and Operations on the implementation of health information 
technology standards in public health information systems.
    Outreach and Consultation Branch (CPMDC). (1) Provides outreach and 
consultation to critical public health partners to articulate public 
health informatics needs and priorities; (2) works with the Informatics 
Strategy and Translation Branch to develop strategies to address these 
public health priority areas; (3) works within OSELS, CDC, HHS, and 
other public health partners to define requirements through communities 
of practice and generates best practices for the public health 
informatics community; (4) establishes and maintains relationships for 
public health informatics; (5) facilitates the coordination of 
informatics activities across OSELS, CDC, and other critical public 
health/healthcare partners; and (6) promotes the development and 
adoption of standards and certification, health information technology 
policies,

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and articulates the implications for public health informatics 
programs.
    Division of Informatics Solutions and Operations (CPME). (1) 
Provides informatics and information technology services to meet the 
needs of multiple programs across CDC, to meet the needs of CDC's 
external partner organizations and to further the informatics 
capabilities of public health generally; (2) analyses the information 
needs of public health programs and develops strategic solutions to 
address them; (3) provides expertise to client programs in information 
technology systems design, project management, data interchange 
strategies, data management, information technology security, 
information technology architecture, systems integration, technical 
standards, current technologies and best practice, rules governing 
federal information systems, and protocols for deploying and operating 
systems at CDC; (4) identifies opportunities for and develops shared 
information technology components that can be utilized by multiple 
programs and partners in order to increase efficiency, decrease cost, 
and promote interoperability and information sharing; (5) identifies 
opportunities for and develops information technology services that 
assist CDC programs and external partners; (6) provides expertise in 
and develops specifications for standards-based data interchanges for 
use by public health programs, and provides supporting services for 
electronic messaging such as online vocabulary management, message 
validation, security and credential management, routing and directory 
management; (7) provides management of large, complex datasets, 
provides data analytics and processes for transforming and translating 
data into useable form for scientific analysis, and provides mechanisms 
to make data accessible and available; (8) provides direct consultation 
and technical assistance to CDC programs and to external partners in 
order to help them achieve the technical and informatics capabilities 
required or endorsed by CDC; (9) develops and fosters adoption of 
informatics standards; (10) provides operational support of multiple 
public health programs through provision of informatics and information 
technology services; and (11) contributes to enhancement of informatics 
capability in the public health workforce.
    Office of the Director (CPME1). (1) Provides scientific leadership 
in public health informatics, identifies new developments in the field 
of informatics that have the potential to improve the practice of 
public health informatics, and applies this leadership and expertise in 
providing informatics and information technology services to meet the 
needs of multiple programs across CDC, to meet the needs of CDC's 
external partner organizations and to further the informatics 
capabilities of public health; (2) plans, directs, coordinates, 
implements, and manages Division of Informatics Solutions and 
Operations (DISO) operational activities; (3) provides financial 
oversight of DISO activities; (4) provides division-level oversight to 
assure use of systems and project management practices that are in 
accord with industry best practices and HHS and federal guidelines; (5) 
provides division-level oversight and management of scientific 
clearance process; (6) assures division-level adherence to IRB, OMB, 
and other policy issues; (7) provides operational oversight of Project 
Portfolio for DISO to assure optimal resource utilization; (8) 
coordinates and facilitates division-level Capital Planning and 
Investment Control (CPIC) process issues; (9) evaluates, designs, and 
deploys, where appropriate, division-level processes, products and 
systems for project management and system development and operations; 
(10) assures the sharing of consistent, audience-appropriate, and high 
quality information relating to division-level activities, including 
Web-based, audio, video, and print-based media; (12) provides 
coordination of division-level activities relating to congressional 
inquiries and media entities; (13) facilitates division-level 
information sharing and relationship management activities internally 
to agency and externally to partners; and (14) facilitates preliminary 
development of project proposals by CDC and external partners.
    Surveillance Services Branch (CPMEB). (1) Develops, maintains, and 
operates informatics shared services that support large-scale 
surveillance programs managed and operated by OSELS; (2) provides OSELS 
with information technology services that cross application and 
programmatic boundaries; (3) guides OSELS, CDC, and public health 
partners in the development and use of standardized messaging services 
and software; (4) provides vocabulary services to OSELS, CDC, and 
public health partners promoting the use of standards-based vocabulary 
in public health information systems; (5) plans, designs, engineers, 
and operates the data and information technology services architecture 
underlying OSELS surveillance activities; (6) provides guidance for 
development and/or implementation of the services required for 
compliance with federal architecture and operational standards to CDC; 
and (7) provides guidance and support to OSELS, CDC, and external 
partners in the design, development and operation of surveillance 
systems.
    Enterprise Systems Branch (CPMEC). (1) Develops, implements, 
maintains, and operates enterprise systems and applications to meet the 
needs of public health programs across CDC and CDC's external partner 
organizations, in support of OSELS and CDC programmatic direction; (2) 
ensures that systems and applications are based on both informatics 
science and programmatic need and supports ongoing service commitments 
to partner programs and agencies; (3) provides guidance and support to 
OSELS, CDC, and external partners in the design and operation of 
information technology systems and applications; and (4) provides 
guidance for development and/or implementation of applications required 
to support programmatic needs in compliance with national architecture 
and operational standards.
    Management Operations Security and Standards Branch (CPMED). (1) 
Provides consultation and services to support and expedite the 
deployment and operation of PHSIPO systems; (2) provides consultation, 
guidance, support, and insight into technical standards, security 
requirements, and architectural and operational constraints within the 
CDC network and/or within federal government, as applicable; (3) 
provides oversight of adherence to standards and security policies for 
development, implementation, and operation of OSELS information 
technology; (4) provides security services for OSELS systems and 
manages the certification and accreditation process for PHSIPO systems; 
(5) coordinates interaction and liaisons between PHSIPO systems and 
information technology project teams and CDC system hosting and network 
operations teams; and (6) ensures that strategic activities and 
strategic partnerships meet required policies.

    Dated: September 25, 2012.
Sherri A. Berger,
Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2012-26283 Filed 10-25-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-18-M