Modernizing data systems and harnessing AI in the public health system

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By John Auerbach, Jerome Adams, MD, MPH , Karen DeSalvo, MD, MSc., Janet Hamilton, Jen Layden, MD, PhD, and Tom Frieden, MD, MPH
Jen Layden, MD, PhD
Senior Vice President, Population Health & Innovation, ASTHO
Jen Layden, MD, PhD's Recent Articles
The role of AI in advancing public health

Public health agencies are grappling with outdated data systems and fragmented governance that limit real-time data sharing, weaken disease surveillance, and slow outbreak response. While AI and data-driven technologies offer significant potential to improve public health outcomes, many government organizations face technical, resource, and policy barriers that make adoption difficult.

Against this backdrop, the federal Rural Health Transformation Program is directing new resources to states to strengthen rural health systems, accelerate infrastructure modernization, and support new partnership models—many of which depend on reliable data, interoperability, and analytic capacity across public health and health care systems.

This on-demand webinar brings together federal, state, and academic leaders for a peer-level discussion on how public health organizations are advancing data modernization and responsible AI use despite policy, funding, and capacity constraints. Panelists discuss how public health organizations can strengthen surveillance capabilities, improve data usability, and support informed decision-making.

What you’ll learn:

  • Barriers to progress – Structural, political, and technical challenges in public health data sharing.
  • Collaborative approaches – How public-private partnerships are leveraging AI to improve health outcomes.
  • Future-ready strategies – Governance, workforce, and practical approaches to ensure new technologies deliver mission-aligned results.

Watch the webinar to engage with senior public health leaders on practical strategies for advancing data modernization and responsible AI in today’s evolving policy environment.

Meet the authors
  1. John Auerbach, Senior Vice President, Federal Health

    John is a public health expert with more than 30 years of experience in strengthening programs at the federal, state, and local levels to drive improved health outcomes for the public, especially those who are at elevated risk for poor health outcomes. View bio

  2. Jerome Adams, MD, MPH , Director of Health Empowerment Initiatives, Purdue University, Former United States Surgeon General
  3. Karen DeSalvo, MD, MSc., Former Chief Health Officer, Google, US HHS Assistant Secretary for Health (Acting)
  4. Janet Hamilton, Executive Director, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Former Epidemiologist, Florida Department of Health
  5. Jen Layden, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Population Health & Innovation, ASTHO
  6. Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer, Resolve to Save Lives, Former CDC Director (Invited)