1035: Building Sustainable Public Health Data Systems in Montana

In this episode, we talk with Jenn Rico, Data Modernization and Surveillance & Informatics Supervisor at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Jenn shares how Montana has used PHIG funding to accelerate statewide data modernization, and invested in leadership, data governance, a new data lake, GIS capacity, and workforce development. She walks us through Montana’s collaborative approach with its 59 county and tribal public health partners, including a major upgrade and cloud migration of the state’s case surveillance system. Jenn also highlights Montana’s new public-facing query tools, efforts to support data sovereignty, and plans to securely provide direct access to record-level data.  Reflecting on the state’s five-year modernization journey, Jennifer discusses what it takes to build systems and culture that last beyond any single grant cycle: prioritizing sustainability, internal capacity, collaboration, and thoughtful use of existing infrastructure.