The AIMS platform provides a secure cloud-based environment that accelerates health information exchange. It has supported electronic messaging between public health agencies since 2008. AIMS offers services for transporting, validating, translating, and routing messages. It migrated to Amazon Web Services in 2014 for improved scalability, security and compliance with standards like HIPAA and FedRAMP. AIMS supports numerous public health programs by exchanging data on infectious diseases, laboratory results, immunizations and more. It aims to further interoperability through new initiatives and a focus on integration, analytics and collaboration.

1. Analysis. Answers. Action. www.aphl.org
APHL Informatics Messaging Services
(AIMS) Overview | March 2017

2. 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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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.

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

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Priorities
Speed and Agility
Elasticity
Low Cost of Experimentation
Easily Deployable Solutions
Legal Continuity Security Compliance Technical Support

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2017 Gartner Cloud Computing Magic
Quadrant
“AWS is the overwhelming
market share leader, with
more than 10 times the
compute capacity in use
than the aggregate total of
the other fourteen providers.”
Challengers Leaders
Niche Players
AbilitytoExecute
Visionaries
Completeness of Vision As of August 2016Source: Gartner (August 2016)
Amazon Web Services
Microsoft
Google
Rackspace
Virtustream
Fujitsu
Century Link
NTT Communications
IBM (SoftLayer)
VMware

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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

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AIMS Functional Architecture

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AIMS Functional Architecture

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Compliance
✓ HIPAA-compliant, HITRUST-certified environment on the
AWS Cloud.
✓ FedRAMP and NIST 800-53
✓ Business Associate Agreements
✓ Shared Responsibility Model
✓ System Security Plan (SSP) in place
✓ Security Assessment (ST&E) and Audit conducted in
2013 and 2016.
✓ FISMA Moderate Compliance ATO granted
✓ 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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Cybersecurity: Access
• Access via applications and services
• AWS Identity Access Management (IAM)
• Virtual Desktops
• Access via VPN
• Dashboard – Audit Portal
✓ System Access
Authorization
Request
✓ FIPS 140-2

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Storage, Backup, Archiving

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Pain Free On-boarding & Tech Support

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Our Team
Hospital Health Public Health

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AIMS Advantages
1. Open Source architecture
2. Centralized processing and message routing
3. Real-time monitoring and audit systems
4. Reduced message transport complexity
5. Reduced data translation and transformation complexity
6. Reduced development and support costs
7. Flexible capacity infrastructure
8. 5 year authentication certificates
9. Vocabulary and HL7 Message Support
10. Experienced and dedicated tech support
11. FISMA Moderate compliant applications
12. FedRAMP compliant environment
13. Commitment to innovation and the future
Once on AIMS, you can exchange data with AIMS
trading partners within minutes!
State Data Administrator

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Results: True Interoperability

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Interoperability of Influenza
Messaging

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Empowering States:
Cross-Jurisdictional Data Exchange
Organic ELR Data ExchangeBi-directional Data Flow
LEGEND

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Empowering States
State and Territorial Exchange of Vital Events (STEVE)

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Traction
9.4M+ 21.5+ 81
Messages and
Counting
Daily Securely
Monitored Log files
AIMS Trading
Partners

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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.
Proof of concept between CDC, Wisconsin, CLC bio, Clarity LIMS to test the 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
Public Health Community Platform
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
The environment for Food and Drug Administration Laboratories
AMD FDA
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:

27. Electronic Case Reporting

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Private Sector Adoption
10 States receiving ELR via AIMS

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AIMSPlatform.com

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Living in the Future
Integration as a Service
Outsource the jurisdictions
Data Integration layer and team
to AIMS
Billing Engine
“Tagging” AIMS services for
automated billing and
Accounting.
Will support Fee for Service.
AIMS Web Portal
ETOR
Business Intelligence
Analytics
Branding Refresh Continued Public-
Private Collaboration
AIMS Marketplace

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Living in the Future
Customer Support
Portal
Software Development
Kit (SDK)
Intelligent Message
Processing (IMP)
AIMS University
Case
Reporting

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Contact Information
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