Summary of Activities to Promote Collaboration and Coordination with Vital Statistics Reporting

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
Collaboration Updates
The Terms of Clearance in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS’) OMB (Control No: 0920-0607)
Package states the following:
“NCIPC’s NVDRS and SUDORS programs will continue to collaborate with NCHS’ NCVS to share knowledge and
optimize investments associated with collecting data from state CMEs. The goal of this collaboration is to a)
reduce duplicative reporting of the same data by States to different components of CDC; b) to improve the
quality and timeliness of CME data to CDC (e.g., by increasing electronic interoperability of CME case
management systems and public health reporting systems); and c) to maximize the value of the data being
reported.”
Of note, scientists from NCHS have presented updates on the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) at NVDRS
Reverse Site Visits, in December 2014, May 2016, December 2016, May 2017, December 2018, May 2019, and
May 2021 (virtual meeting).
In response to this requirement, below is a summary of activities that have occurred between NCIPC and
NCHS for the period 1/1/20 – 5/31/21:
The Mortality Surveillance Team (MST), where the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) resides in
the Surveillance Branch (SB) of the Division of Violence Prevention (DVP), National Center for Injury Prevention
and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is continuing collaborations with the National Center
for Health Statistics (NCHS) to share knowledge and optimize investments.
For the period 1/1/20 – 5/31/2021, MST and NCHS have worked together on the following. Some activities are
ongoing and are noted as such.
Dr. Janet Blair (MST Team Lead), Dr. Kathleen McDavid Harrison (Surveillance Branch Chief, DVP) and Dr.
Thomas Simon (DVP Associate Director for Science) held a meeting in March 2020 with Dr. Bob Anderson, NCHS
Division of Vital Statistics, to discuss cell suppression rules for NVDRS and the rationale for Vital Statistics cell
suppression rules.
NCHS held an Implementers’ Community Meeting in conjunction with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)
September 21-22, 2020. The Implementers’ Community Workgroup, in its current form, has come to an end. The
efforts will now be a part of the Vital Statistics Modernization Community of Practice (CoP). This new initiative
will be available to all jurisdictions and will include mortality, natality, and fetal death. The new implementers’
group will be a subgroup under CoP and the interoperability will be expanded in scope. Attendees to the
Implementers’ Community Meeting for NVDRS were Mr. Scott Van Heest (IT Specialist), and Ms. Bridget Lyons
(NVDRS Science Officer).
NCHS, NVDRS, and State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) staff attended a meeting in
January 2021 with the Georgia Tech Research Institute. The meeting included a discussion of NCHS Review of
“modernization” efforts related to medico-legal death investigation (MDI) data, including toxicology and review
of the Fast Health Interoperability Resources (FHIR) based standards for death certificate data. Georgia Tech
Research Institute colleagues gave a brief overview of their work and there were discussions about

collaboration. Attendees for NVDRS were Mr. Craig Bryant (Computer Scientist), Mr. Scott Van Heest (IT
Specialist), Dr. Emiko Petrosky (NVDRS Science Officer), and Dr. Janet Blair (MST Lead).
Dr. Margaret Warner from the NCHS Division of Vital Statistics gave an overview and update of NCHS activities at
the NVDRS Reverse Site visit in May 2021.
Ongoing: The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be
updating the 2011 “Death Investigation: A Guide for the Scene Investigator” publication
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/234457.pdf to better assist MDI stakeholders across the country. NIJ and
CDC will be creating a working group (hereinafter MDI Guide WG) that will capture a combination of innovative
and practical concepts, as well as incorporate new/proven practices in order to increase awareness of death
scene investigations. NVDRS, SUDORS and NCHS are part of this working group. Dr. Janet Blair (MST Lead) is a
part of this workgroup.
Ongoing: Dr. Janet Blair (MST Lead) attends CDC NCIPC and NCHS suicide-related bimonthly meetings where
colleagues share work being done in this area.
Ongoing: Colleagues from NVDRS participate in quarterly conference calls with NCHS and SUDORS colleagues for
informational purposes and to discuss opportunities for collaboration.
Ongoing: Dr. Kathleen McDavid Harrison (SB Chief) and Dr. Janet Blair (MST Lead) attend Office of Justice
Programs/Health and Human Services MDI Working Group (OJP/HHS MDI-WG). NCHS and SUDORS colleagues
also participate in these meetings. These meetings provide an opportunity for programs to discuss their work
with coroner/medical examiner partners and how to promote collaboration.