Pima County Elevates Collaboration with IT to Advance Data Modernization

March 30, 2026 | Ankur Jain

Across the country, public health agencies are investing in data modernization, yet many continue to face a familiar challenge: limited IT partner alignment or capacity. For Arizona’s Pima County Health Department, strengthening its partnership with the county’s Information Technology Department (County IT) was not just a technical necessity; it became a strategic priority for advancing data modernization in a sustainable and scalable way.

With support from the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG), Pima County has made meaningful progress in transforming how public health and IT work together. What began as a relationship marked by uncertainty and differing expectations is now one grounded in shared language, trust, and joint ownership of data infrastructure.

Starting the Data Modernization Journey

When Pima County first embarked on its data modernization journey, progress was not immediate. Public health leaders recognized the need to modernize data systems and workflows, but early conversations with County IT revealed differences in priorities, timelines, and technical language. Requests were difficult to move forward, and teams often found themselves speaking different “languages” when discussing data needs and feasibility.

Rather than advancing work in silos, Pima County’s Public Health Informatics and Analytics Team recognized that meaningful progress would require a shift in approach — one focused on communication, relationship-building, and mutual understanding between public health and IT partners.

Creating Space for Partnership

With PHIG support, Pima County was able to invest in dedicated data engineering and data strategy positions while also creating intentional opportunities for engagement with IT leadership. This enabled the county to elevate collaboration with County IT as a core component of its data modernization strategy.

Early in this process, Pima County’s Health Department director supported the informatics team in delivering a direct and focused briefing to County IT leadership. Rather than seeking immediate technical solutions, the briefing clarified public health’s long-term data modernization goals and emphasized that sustained IT partnership — particularly around data engineering and interoperability — would be essential. This leadership-level alignment reframed data modernization as a shared countywide priority rather than a program-specific request and helped set expectations for ongoing collaboration.

Moving to Action

As trust and shared understanding grew, collaboration progressed. To support the county’s data modernization activities, the County IT Director volunteered to establish a “Data Works” pilot: an innovative partnership model in which the Public Health Informatics and Analytics Team works alongside the County IT Analytics and Data Governance Team as a coordinated, cross-department team. Central to this model is the PHIG-funded data engineer dedicated to working directly with County IT — participating in IT project planning, collaborating on technical design, and serving as a consistent bridge between public health priorities and IT implementation.

Through the Data Works pilot, joint projects focus on supporting timely and meaningful access to information by:

• Optimizing use of the county’s Snowflake data warehouse.
• Automating workflows.
• Strengthening data governance.
• Integrating federal-level data.
• Improving tribal data workflows.

Rather than handing off requests, public health and IT now jointly prioritize and deliver work, creating a more efficient, responsive, and sustainable approach to data modernization.

Finding Inspiration from Arizona’s Collaborative Modernization Model

Pima County also benefited from Arizona Department of Health Services’ strong, transparent communication and collaborative approach to MEDSIS modernization, the state’s communicable disease reporting system. ADHS provided plain-language updates, invited local feedback, and maintained consistent communication throughout the modernization process. Because disease reporting requires close coordination between state and local health departments, this transparency helped Pima County better understand how system changes would affect local workflows and infrastructure needs.

Pima County then served as a connector, translating state-level updates into actionable context for County IT and aligning messaging across teams. By reinforcing shared goals between state guidance and local implementation, the county reduced ambiguity and strengthened trust with its IT partners.

Utilizing Data Governance as a Shared Foundation

Strong data governance has played a critical role in strengthening the public health and IT partnership as well. Pima County intentionally emphasized data literacy early on, ensuring that staff and stakeholders understood the value and purpose of data before establishing formal governance policies.

As demand for Snowflake access and data products increased, governance structures helped manage expectations and streamline requests. Importantly, these processes also provided a shared framework for communication with County IT — clarifying priorities, roles, and workflows while supporting continued momentum.

Early Outcomes and Growing Momentum

Although Pima County’s data modernization efforts are ongoing, early outcomes demonstrate the value of this collaborative approach. The strengthened partnership with County IT has enabled joint prioritization of projects such as MEDSIS modernization within Snowflake, improving data access and supporting more efficient workflows.

Staff report increased confidence, clearer processes, and stronger collaboration across teams. Just as importantly, the partnership has positioned Pima County to take on more complex data integration efforts in the future — grounded in trust, shared goals, and technical readiness.

Lessons for Other Jurisdictions

Pima County’s experience offers several lessons for other health departments working to strengthen relationships with IT partners:

• Invest in communication before technology. Shared language and transparency build trust.
• Engage leadership early and visibly. Sponsorship signals priority and alignment.
• Treat governance as an enabler, not a barrier. Clear processes support momentum.
• Build partnerships intentionally. Sustainable data modernization depends on relationships as much as infrastructure.

Looking Ahead

Through continued PHIG funding, Pima County is focused on sustaining progress through documentation, knowledge transfer, and embedding data literacy into workforce expectations. By preparing leadership for post-PHIG realities and institutionalizing new ways of working, the county is laying the foundation for long-term success. For Pima County, data modernization is no longer just about systems, it is about partnership. And that shift has made all the difference