PVM Expands CDC Partnership within DFWED with Outbreak Event Surveillance Modernization Project

PVM is expanding our relationship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with a new task order under our sole-source IDIQ within the Division for Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED) surrounding the necessity to continue modernizing and advancing outbreak response and surveillance efforts.

We are excited to begin work integrating the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS), National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS), and the One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (OHHABS) into DFWED’s System for Enteric Disease Response, Investigation, and Coordination (SEDRIC) Palantir Foundry system. This work will advance CDC’s mission to protect public health by enabling timely and accurate identification of sporadic illnesses and multistate enteric disease outbreaks.

For the past 7+ years, PVM has partnered with CDC on missions at the intersection of IT, surveillance, and outbreak response to advance its Data Modernization Initiative (DMI). This new contract will enable DFWED to modernize and enhance their surveillance and outbreak response systems, significantly improving their ability to identify and investigate sporadic illnesses and multistate enteric disease outbreaks more quickly, thus preventing additional illness and deaths. More specifically, PVM’s work on these three critical systems will aid the Division and the nation as a whole:

• Modernizing the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) will enhance the ability of state, local, and territorial public health agencies to report and track outbreaks of various diseases, leading to quicker identification and response to outbreaks, thereby reducing the spread of illness.
• Upgrading the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS) will improve food safety efforts by identifying environmental causes of foodborne illness outbreaks and informing regulatory actions to prevent future outbreaks.
• Enhancing the One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (OHHABS) will provide better data on harmful algal blooms, helping to prevent illnesses in humans and animals through a comprehensive One Health approach. These modernizations collectively strengthen public health infrastructure, enabling faster responses and better prevention strategies to protect public health.

INTEGRATING KEY REPORTING SYSTEMS

PVM is committed to DFWED's mission to leverage data captured through various IT systems and tools for timely decision making to improve public health outcomes. In this program, our focus is on modernizing and integrating critical CDC surveillance and outbreak response systems, including NORS, NEARS, and OHHABS, through comprehensive software development, IT security, and enterprise architecture activities. By leveraging platforms like SEDRIC within the larger Division’s larger Data Collation and Integration for Public Health Event Response (DCIPHER) framework, the project will enable seamless data integration, rapid visualization, and secure collaboration among epidemiologists, lab experts, and data scientists, ensuring a robust and responsive public health infrastructure.

As a result of this program, PVM will enable CDC teams to have access to:

• Faster and more efficient disease outbreak detection and response.
• Modernized and integrated surveillance systems (NORS, NEARS, OHHABS).
• Centralized and standardized data for comprehensive analysis.
• Enhanced data accuracy and reliability through automation.
• Streamlined data ingestion, processing, and visualization.
• Secure and efficient data sharing among public health partners.
• Compliance with HHS guidelines and robust IT security measures.
• Scalable and flexible solutions for future public health needs.
• Improved reporting capabilities for better public health insights.
• Support for comprehensive One Health strategies.

“We at PVM are thrilled to deepen our partnership with CDC and continue to support their vital mission to protect public health through data-driven insights and technologies,” said PVM CEO Pat Mack. “By weaving together essential systems like NORS, NEARS, and OHHABS into the Palantir Foundry system, we’re not just modernizing surveillance efforts; we’re empowering public health professionals to tackle outbreaks with speed and precision. This project truly highlights our commitment to harnessing technology for the greater good and strengthening public health infrastructure across the nation."

PVM’s Work With CDC

PVM is a proud partner of CDC, focused on advancing its Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) which aims to deliver better, faster, actionable insights for decision-making at all levels of public health. By creating a unified public health community that engages robustly with healthcare, communicates meaningfully with the public, improves health equity, and has the means to protect and promote health, PVM contributes to the CDC's vision of enhancing the agency's data collection, usage, and interoperability with external data sources for more effective public health decision-making.

During our seven years in service to CDC, our engineers have successfully developed software for the SEDRIC program, and have become experts in CDC’s culture, processes, and IT systems. We are honored for this opportunity to continue to help CDC protect public health and safety.

About PVM

PVM delivers digital services that help public sector teams unlock the power of their data for good and maximize the value of their investments in Palantir systems. PVM is a certified 8(a) and black and service-disabled veteran-owned small business that was founded by a retired Naval officer out of frustration to solve the hard, data-driven problems Sailors were facing every day. Today, PVM continues to be driven by that same goal, and is focused on taking on its clients’ missions as their own to make a difference in the communities we serve.