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ISDS 2012 Conference Abstracts

New Strategy and Innovative Projects at the National
Biosurveillance Integration Center
Steven Bennett and Teresa Quitugua*

Homeland Security, Washington, DC, USA

Objective
Enhance knowledge of the vision, mission, strategic goals, and ob-

jectives of the National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC).
Learn about innovative biosurveillance projects ongoing in NBIC.

Introduction
For a number of years, the federal government has provided bio-

surveillance in various domains within different departments and
agencies. Congress recognized the need for a means of integrating
these separate information sources into a more useable resource by
chartering NBIC within the Department of Homeland Security.

Methods
NBIC engaged the biosurveillance community within and beyond

the federal government through a series of extensive discussions,
workshops, and symposia to define a strategy for future development
of integrated biosurveillance activities grounded in legislative and
presidential direction. The NBIC Strategic Plan was extensively re-
viewed by the twelve federal Departments that comprise the National
Biosurveillance Integration System (NBIS) as well as the White
House Office of Management and Budget. The NBIC Strategic Plan
is currently being revised for release of a public version. The NBIC
also engaged partners in the development of projects designed to de-
velop and test new approaches to biosurveillance.

Results
The NBIC Strategic Plan was delivered to Congress in August,

2012. The plan explains the Center’s approach, why it is needed, and
how it seeks to execute the mission of integrating national biosur-
veillance information to provide relevant and timely information that
effectively supports decision making. Projects are underway involv-
ing text analyses of emergency medical system data, changes to poi-
son control center data collection and analysis, and the application
of machine learning to social media analyses. A sub-working group
of the NBIS has been established to guide selection of future pilot
project areas to address prioritized requirements for integrated bio-
surveillance.

Conclusions
NBIC has increased flexibility in its commitment to collaboration

and coordination, engaged in bold new approaches, and is defining
requirements that will encourage buy-in and support of the users
across the levels of government and the private sector. With success
in its mission, NBIC will support its partners’ missions and provide
relevant and timely information that effectively supports decision
making.

Keywords
NBIC; NBIS; strategy

References

(1) Public Law 110-53, “Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11
Commission Act of 2007,” August 2007. Accessed online at http://in-
telligence.senate.gov/laws/pl11053.pdf.

(2) The White House, National Strategy for Biosurveillance, July 2012.
Accessed online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/Na-
tional_Strategy_for_Biosurveillance_July_2012.pdf.

(3) Institute of Medicine, “Information Sharing and Collaboration: Ap-
plications to Integrated Biosurveillance - Workshop Summary,” No-
vember 2011.

(4) Government Accountability Office, Report on Biosurveillance: De-
veloping a Collaboration Strategy is Essential to Fostering Intera-
gency Data and Resource Sharing, GAO 10-171 (Washington, DC:
GAO, 2009).

(5) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Biosur-
veillance Strategy for Human Health. February 2010. Accessed online
at http://www.cdc.gov/osels/pdf/NBSHH_V2_FINAL.PDF.

(6) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Health Se-
curity Strategy, December 2009. Accessed online at
http://www.phe.gov/preparedness/planning/authority/nhss/strat-
egy/documents/nhss-final.pdf.

(7) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Implementation Plan
for the National Health Security Strategy of the United States of
America, May 2012. Accessed online at http://www.phe.gov/Pre-
paredness/planning/authority/nhss/ip/Documents/nhss-ip.pdf.

(8) The White House, “Biodefense for the 21st Century,” Homeland Se-
curity Presidential Directive 10, April 28, 2004. Accessed online at
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/nspd/hspd-10.html.

(9) The White House, “Defense of United States Agriculture and Food,”
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9, January 30, 2004. Ac-
cessed online at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/emer-
gency_management/downloads/hspd-9.pdf.

*Teresa Quitugua
E-mail: teresa.quitugua@hq.dhs.gov

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics * ISSN 1947-2579 * http://ojphi.org * 5(1):e79, 2013