How Massachusetts is Advancing Public Health Data Standards

April 27, 2026 | Saisha Adhikari

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has long understood that strong public health systems rely on strong data. But with thousands of staff, dozens of programs, and dozens of data sources, achieving consistency across the department is no small task.

Rather than treating data modernization, performance management/quality improvement (PM/QI), and data standards as separate efforts, Massachusetts is intentionally bringing them together. Through Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) funding, the department is accelerating progress toward common data standards by strengthening internal capacity, improving coordination, and laying the groundwork for meaningful impact. Massachusetts is turning standards into shared practice, using measurements to connect teams, strengthening communication and change management, and tracking early wins that signal meaningful progress.

Building a Strong Foundation

Data standards are not new to Massachusetts. For more than a decade, DPH has collaboratively developed standards with voluntary work groups composed of subject matter experts from across the department to improve how data are collected and used. Today, the department maintains eight approved data standards. PHIG funding enabled DPH to develop training modules for three approved data standards (disability, housing and homelessness, and employment) and to create a new module on a data standard related to adults with disabilities.

With leadership support, PHIG funding has allowed the department to move forward quickly and strategically, including aligning training content with updated federal guidance such as the 2024 Office of Management and Budget revisions.

“These standards have existed for a while,” shared Emily Neumann, Coordinator of Data Standards, “but PHIG allowed us to invest in training and communication so that more people across the department understand not just what the standards are, but why they matter.”

Turning Standards into Shared Practice

A key focus of the PHIG-supported work has been accessibility. DPH developed short, digestible training videos and housed them on the state’s internal learning platform, making them available not only to DPH staff but also to the broader Executive Office of Health and Human Services, vendors, and partners across the Commonwealth.

“It’s hard to expect adoption if people don’t even know the standards exist,” said Brett Turner, Director of Data Strategy & Transformation. “The trainings are our first step toward building that awareness across a department of more than 3,000 people.”

With this increased awareness through training, staff can begin to meaningfully connect systems and improve reporting.

Measurement as a Bridge Between Data Modernization and PM/QI

This is where PM/QI plays a critical role. By tracking participation in training modules and aligning efforts with the department’s strategic plan, PM/QI teams help translate awareness into measurable progress.

Rather than setting overly broad or unrealistic goals, DPH is taking a targeted approach. For example, one performance measure focuses on data stewards (staff responsible for managing datasets) completing trainings related to race, ethnicity, and language data standards. This allows the department to set concrete, achievable goals while still moving toward broader adoption.

PM/QI teams are also using data inventories and surveys to understand what datasets exist, who manages them, and where programs are already using standards. This shared visibility helps identify opportunities to connect previously siloed data and ensures that modernization efforts are grounded in real operational knowledge.

Navigating Challenges Through Communication and Change Management

Like many large public health agencies, DPH data systems work within a complex system that include state and federal requirements, governmental and non-governmental partners, and legacy technologies.

To address this complexity, the department has leaned into advocacy and documentation. Teams are creating clear guidance for partners, engaging early in conversations with organizations that collect key datasets, and using every opportunity to promote alignment. In some cases, this has led to near-complete adoption of Massachusetts’ standards by external partners.

Internally, change management remains essential. Many staff have stepped forward to contribute to data standards work beyond their primary roles, acting as champions across bureaus and offices. At the same time, the department is working to embed these processes into routine operations so that standards become part of core practice rather than a separate initiative. To support sustainability, the department is investing in knowledge management to document lessons learned, track implementation challenges, and reduce the burden on individual staff to repeatedly explain standards.

“It comes back to communication,” said Kate Saunders, Director of Quality Improvement, Bureau of Health Care Safety & Quality. “When people understand the why, compliance improves. This isn’t just about technical definitions, it’s about improving health outcomes.

Early Signals of Progress

While the work is ongoing, Massachusetts is already seeing encouraging signs:

• Increased Awareness and Engagement: Training modules have expanded reach across the department and partner organizations.
• Stronger Measurement Practices: PM/QI teams can now track participation and link progress to strategic goals.
• Improved Coordination: Data inventories and shared workflows help identify where standards are being used and where support is needed.
• More Inclusive Data: Aligning standards makes it easier to incorporate smaller, specialized datasets, such as those related to long-term care or pediatric populations, that might otherwise be lost.

Together, these efforts are helping leadership better understand the value of data modernization not as just a funded initiative, but as a driver of equity, efficiency, and prevention.

A Model Grounded in Collaboration

What stands out most about Massachusetts’ approach is how collaborative it has been. Staff from across bureaus and offices have helped shape the work, creating shared ownership and stronger connections across the department.

“This was a ground-up effort,” Neumann reflected. “It was eye-opening to see how many people wanted to be involved once they understood the bigger goal.”

That goal remains clear: improving health outcomes for everyone in Massachusetts. Common data standards provide the shared language needed to identify inequities, track progress over time, and understand the full experience of individuals and communities.

As PHIG funding continues to support this work, Massachusetts is focused on next steps: refining communication strategies, engaging leadership and management, and embedding data standards into everyday practice.

For other PHIG recipients navigating similar alignment challenges, the lesson is simple but powerful: start with the “why,” build collaboratively, and don’t let perfection stand in the way of progress.

Reviewed by Lindsey Myers, MPH, Vice President, Public Health Workforce & Infrastructure.