AIMS Overview - February 2018

1. Analysis. Answers. Action. www.aphl.org
APHL Informatics Messaging Services
(AIMS) Overview | February 2019

2. Analysis. Answers. Action. www.aphl.org
Content
• Foundation
• AIMS Today
• High-Level Capabilities of AIMS
• Compliance and Security
• Current Use Cases

3. Analysis. Answers. Action. www.aphl.org
Foundation
Since 2008, APHL has maintained a message transport hub service that has the
ability to receive, hold, and transmit electronic messages sent from one
organization to another. The RnR Hub (now named AIMS Platform) service
routes electronic messages between the CDC, partner laboratories, and public
health agencies.

4. A secure, cloud based environment that
accelerates the implementation of
health messaging by providing shared
services to aid in the transport,
validation, translation, transformation
and routing of electronic data.
APHL Informatics Messaging Services

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50 states
Influenza
NREVSS
NMI
VPD
LRN
Animal
Rabies
AMD
Today: A National Resource for Interoperability

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Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Migrated to AWS on March 1, 2014
• Located in the AWS East and West US Regions
• Robust Continuity of Operations and Disaster Recovery
• Approved for GovCloud

7. The High-Level Capabilities of AIMS
AIMS
Data
Transport
Data
Transformation
Message
Routing
Application
Hosting
Data
Translation
Data
Validation

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Compliance
ü HIPAA-compliant, HITRUST-certified environment on
the AWS Cloud.
ü Business Associate Agreements
ü Shared Responsibility Model
ü System Security Plan (SSP) in place
ü Security Assessment (ST&E) and Audit conducted in
2013 and 2016. (Next in Q2 2019)
ü FISMA Moderate Compliance ATO granted
ü AWS is FedRAMP certified

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Cybersecurity
Automated continuous configuration
and monitoring provides cybersecurity
and information assurance capabilities
to information technology environments
on AIMS.

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Cybersecurity

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PHLs involved in the Public Health Laboratory Interoperability Project (PHLIP) use the AIMS
Platform to transport Electronic Laboratory Surveillance Messages (ELSM) for Influenza to
CDC.
The AIMS Platform is used by PHLs to maintain Pandemic Influenza surge capacity to
securely exchange Electronic Test Orders and Results (ETOR).
The AIMS Platform supports Meaningful Use secure message transport for Syndromic
Surveillance, Immunizations, and Electronic Laboratory Results (ELR).
The Laboratory Response Network (LRN) uses the AIMS Platform to securely transport
messages of possible bioterrorism threats.
LRN
Meaningful Use
Pandemic Influenza
PHLIP
Programs Using AIMS

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Programs Using AIMS
The Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) program uses four Reference Centers to provide
specimen testing for labs that either do not currently provide testing for VPD diseases or want
the surge capacity provided by Reference Centers. VPD diseases currently consist of: Measles
(Rubeola), mumps, rubella, Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), pertussis, S. pneumoniae, and H.
influenzae.
VPD
The Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) Modernization Initiative (NMI)
is an effort to improve the systems and processes used to receive nationally notifiable disease
data to provide more comprehensive, timely, and higher quality data than ever before.
Hosting solutions for Advanced Molecular Detection – CDC, Wisconsin, CLC bio, Clarity LIMS
for secure transport and analysis of WGS data on AIMS.
WGS/AMD
NMI

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Programs Using AIMS
Rabies Animal ELR securely sent from laboratories across the US to the CDC via AIMS
Platform. Interactive web portal hosted on AIMS to allow CDC Rabies Program Area to access
data.
The State and Territorial Exchange of Vital Events (STEVE) project is an update to an existing
software application that enables electronic data exchange of vital events. Using a new cloud based
infrastructure, hosted in conjunction with the Public Health Community Platform on the AIMS Platform,
states and territories will have bi-directional core messaging capabilities. The new solution will offer
flexibility and the ability to scale quickly, while significantly reducing the technical footprint within each
jurisdiction.
Initial Electronic Case Reporting (eICR) Pilot and RCKMS hosting and integration with eICR
Rabies ELR
NAPHSIS - STEVE 2.0
Digital Bridge
The Anti-Microbial Resistance Lab Network is a portal that has upload, validation, and
download capability.
ARLN

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Programs Using AIMS
The Foodborne Illness lab network is hosted and secured on the AIMS Platform.
This network of private laboratories sending data to Public Health Agencies is being used by the
largest private laboratory in the country, transmitting 2.5 million messages per month.
A centralized hub for Immunization Information Systems interoperability
EIP Foodnet
Quest Diagnostics
PHIZ
Identifies the informatics capabilities and needs of the public health community. Laboratory
professionals can use the results of the self-assessment to gauge informatics capabilities
and gaps, prioritize the use of existing resources, and to document and communicate
informatics priorities to policy makers.
SA Tool

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Our Team
Hospital Health Public Health

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AIMSPlatform.com

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Contact Information
DARI SHIRAZI | Manager, Health Information Technology
Association of Public Health Laboratories | Analysis. Answers. Action.
P +1 319.325.0760 | P2 +1 240.485.3837 | dari.shirazi@aphl.org
PATINA ZARCONE-GAGNE, MPH | Director, Informatics
Association of Public Health Laboratories | Analysis. Answers. Action.
P +1 240.485.2788 | patina.zarcone@aphl.org
M +1 978.559.1462