Washington, DC — Following Administration guidance that mandates hospitals bypass the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and instead send critical information directly to the Department of Health and Human Services, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) criticized the rule change during her Fulton County Telephone Town Hall and highlighted her recent letter seeking specific information from the CDC about the usage of $500 million in public health data modernization funding she secured. 

“The decision to shift control of public health data away from the CDC is not a decision that best protects the health and safety of our families. The CDC has long been the central hub that collected public health data from states and hospitals, making that data public and transparent,” said McBath. “Many CDC employees reside in the Sixth District and work hard every day to protect public health. I believe we should give them more tools to help protect people, not fewer. The CDC has always been an example of unbiased and thorough medical research, both in America and around the world, and we must continue to provide the doctors and experts at the CDC the resources they need to help solve and prevent public health crises.”

McBath is the lead of bipartisan legislation to modernize data collection practices and improve epidemic preparedness, introduced in December 2019 before the first case of the coronavirus was confirmed in the United States. The $500 million in funding requested in that legislation was secured as part of the Cares Act. Earlier this month, McBath sent a letter to CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield highlighting the importance of cooperation within the public health community and requesting more information on the usage and implementation of the $500 million in funds she secured, as well as additional communication about protocol during the coronavirus pandemic.

“One of my first priorities as a new member of Congress in 2019 was to visit the CDC and learn firsthand about what they needed to help protect Americans. After my visit, I learned their budget had previously been cut, and that they needed funding to modernize their data systems to help prevent pandemics and other public health crises. In December, health experts from the CDC released a report that outlined the immediate need for improved public health data systems,” McBath continued. “I immediately introduced the bill to help modernize the CDC, and I am proud that in March, $500 million in funding was secured to help prevent pandemics as part of the COVID-19 relief package. The CDC is an integral part of our community and on the frontlines of our pandemic response, and we must continue to give them more tools to help keep our families safe and healthy.” 

H.R. 5321, the Public Health Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2019 amends the Public Health Service Act to expand, enhance, and improve public health data systems. Co-led by Rep. Earl "Buddy" Carter (R-GA 1), the bill improves community preparedness and:

• Authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to update and improve public health data systems used by the agency.
• Gives $500 million over 5 years for public health data improvement.
• Requires HHS to award grants to state and local public health departments for the expansion and modernization of public health data systems to improve data collection, simplify reporting by health care providers, enhance interoperability of current public health data systems with health information technology, support earlier disease detection, and support electronic case reporting.

The letter sent to Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the CDC, on July 9 reads:

Dear Director Redfield,

Our nation continues to face unprecedented challenges in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to see rising cases of COVID-19 throughout the country, stronger public health surveillance and data infrastructure is essential for mitigation of the virus. Unfortunately, existing public health data infrastructure was lacking interoperability, and data collection did not meet the needs of public health officials, hindering their ability to properly address this public health emergency. Currently, data sharing between relevant parties is time-consuming and often relies on paper-based methods, including fax. The inefficiency of these methods had significant consequences on detection and response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Since the emergence of COVID-19 there have been significant gaps in data, including missing information about pregnant women, who were initially not thought to be at higher-risk for COVID-19. However, it has been shown that expectant mothers with COVID-19 have a 50 percent higher chance of admission to intensive care and a 70 percent higher chance of being intubated as non-pregnant women.^[1] There have also been significant lags in demographic data for people infected with COVID-19. We now know the scope of the disparity in health outcomes based on race and socio-economic conditions, however the collection of that data lagged several weeks after it was initially reported. 

In order to address these issues, Congress has appropriated $1.5 billion in funding to update and improve the public health surveillance and data systems at the CDC, this includes over $500 million I initially proposed to update public health data infrastructure in December. This money was intended to restore the faith of the public in the CDC and ensure that they have every resource to fight this virus. Therefore, I respectfully request answers to the following questions:

1.      How does the CDC plan to use the data modernization funding to better prepare and respond to potential future pandemics?

2.      What steps has the CDC taken to improve timeliness and quality of data?

3.      Has the CDC made progress on integration of data systems with local and state public health departments, and what barriers is the CDC facing in making these integrations? 

4.      How has the CDC decided to split funding with state and local health departments?

5.      Is the CDC engaged in any private-public partnerships to speed up implementation, and if so, which companies are being considered?

6.      What innovative technologies are being leveraged to help in the fight against COVID-19 and future public health emergencies?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be vital to this effort, and I want to thank you for the work you have done over the last few months. However, there is more work to be done. Thank you for your dedication to this fight against COVID-19 and for your commitment to improving the public health of this country.  I look forward to hearing from you and to working with you on this important issue.

Sincerely, 

Lucy McBath

Member of Congress