APRIL 26, 2023

Note: As you may know, next week we will be hosting the AIRA 2023 National Meeting. With this, we will be taking a hiatus from publishing the Weekly Update. Don’t fret! We will be back with our regularly scheduled programming May 10. 

The AIRA 2023 National Meeting is next week! What?! We can’t believe it either. With the record-setting registration, we’ll be a little cozy, but don’t worry, we have seats for everyone. Our friendly AIRA staff will be available to help you navigate the meeting space. 

With this very little time left before we gather, we highly encourage our registered attendees to:

• Check out our official agenda for #AIRA2023
• Look at the parking details on the #AIRA2023 National Meeting website if you are driving
• Keep an eye out for your invitation to the meeting app

We are looking forward to seeing you in San Diego, California, May 2–4! 

It’s time to pull your suitcases out, because the AIRA 2023 National Meeting is just around the corner! This year, we are encouraging you to get to know one another better and learn about ways to get involved with AIRA. One way to do this is to look for individuals wearing various colored ribbons, indicating their involvement in AIRA workgroups. 

Here’s what to look for:

• Query me about SISC: If you want to know more about the Standards & Interoperability Steering Committee (SISC), look for individuals wearing reddish-pink ribbons.
• Want to know more about M&I? Individuals wearing these light blue ribbons are part of the Measurement for Assessment & Certification Advisory Workgroup (MACAW).
• Engage with me about the IIP: Talk to the folks wearing orange ribbons to hear more about the Immunization Integration Program (IIP) and interoperability between EHRs and IIS.
• Ask me about publishing: Individuals wearing these red ribbons are ready to support you in getting published in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Ask me about AIRA + Power BI: These data viz gurus, donning violet ribbons, know all about creating visualizations in Power BI.
• Ask me about AIRA + Tableau: Also wizards in data visualization, the individuals wearing berry ribbons can help you learn more about Tableau.
• Let’s connect on Epi Connect: Put a face with your Epi Connect partner’s name or learn how to join this peer-to-peer connection program for data analysts/epidemiologists. Look for the individuals wearing lilac ribbons.
• Talk to me about best practices: Members of the IIS Best Practices Community of Practice (BP CoP) will be wearing caramel-colored ribbons. They’ll be ready to talk to you about IIS operational best practices.
• Ask me why my IIS uses Smarty: Look for the smarties wearing the mocha-colored ribbons to learn more about the user group and data quality intervention service, an AIRA member benefit.
• Ask me about Bulk FHIR Query: Helios Bulk FHIR Query experts will be wearing peach-colored ribbons. Talk to these folks about this promising approach!

Don’t forget to grab your ribbons at the self-service station. We’ll be using the honor system, so select whichever ribbons apply to you and wear them with pride.

Also keep a look out for individuals wearing M&I Validated (green), sponsor, and board member (pink) ribbons. And if you need any help, don’t hesitate to pull an AIRA staff member (wearing blue ribbons) aside.

We can’t wait to see you in San Diego at #AIRA2023!

Throughout the AIRA 2023 National Meeting, AIRA technical staff will offer personalized sessions for IIS teams to review their AART (Aggregate Analysis Reporting Tool) testing results. Appointments are filling up fast so make sure to reserve your session soon.

The American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and members of the Measurement and Certification Advisory Workgroup (MACAW) met in person March 21–23, in Tempe, Arizona. For the first time, MACAW welcomed six guest members from the broader public health informatics community to provide technical expertise and knowledge. This group piloted an immersive meeting format to explore objectives in the patient matching content area of the Measurement and Improvement (M&I) Initiative. Via large-group discussions and small-group work, 24 attendees engaged in 18 hours of productive dialogue and hands-on action to define the preliminary steps for advancing M&I. A big thank-you to all the working group members who invested valuable time to make this effort a success!

Back row: Nathan Bunker, AIRA; Dave McCormick, IN; Yong Wang, AZ; Valentin Sostaric, AZ; Chris Sorenson, AIRA; Greg Noe, AIRA; Rob Snelick, NIST; Hossam Tamri, NIST; Aaron Bieringer, MN; Josh Hull, MI; Kevin Snow, Envision; Eric Larson, AIRA

Front row: Assiatou Diallo, AIRA; Amanda Lusk, AZ; Cindy Kelly, Philadelphia; LaTreace Harris, CDC; Mary Beth Kurilo, AIRA; Megan Tougher, HLN; Shelli Jensen, Philadelphia; Emily Martinez, NYC; Tesha Lucas, AIRA; Shannon Coleman, STChealth; Alexandra Hayes, AIRA; Scott Benedict, Gainwell Technologies

Not pictured: Katie Cruz (NM), John Robison (Philadelphia)

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AIRA is excited to announce the next offering of the Provider Organization Onboarding for IIS training. Registration will open on May 1, 2023, and can be found here. Weekly sessions will begin on June 15, 2023. For questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

AIRA members can submit and review information requests—a circulation of questions to and answers from the community. Recent information requests can be found by using the “Information Requests” filter in the AIRA repository.

Information requests are viewable only by individual members and individuals affiliated with member and partner organizations. Just log in to view these valuable resources! If you have any questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The North Dakota IIS team is inquiring about third-party messaging engine options. They are looking at options to move away from their current custom-built messaging engine and are hoping you can provide some information to help guide them. Below is a list of questions from the project management and development teams. 

• What third-party message engine options are currently available?
• Do you know of any IIS using these options?
• Are you aware of any issues observed with these options?
• What has worked well with any of these options?
• Do you have any information on the cost model for purchase/subscribe versus continued maintenance of a current custom-built solution?
• Any difference in responsiveness to change in requirements/standards?
• How much custom code (if any) is written for the purchased engines for a specific solution?

If you are willing to share information, please reach out to the North Dakota Department of Health at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by today, and don’t forget to include your contact information for follow-up.

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