Tarrant County Public Health and Houston Health Department host regional syndromic surveillance systems covering PHR 2/3 and PHR 6/5S, respectively, which then feed into the statewide syndromic surveillance system, TxS2. DSHS staff in both the regional offices and at the central office collaborate with these partners for syndromic surveillance activities, including collecting and sharing data and information, to ensure the success of the statewide system as a whole.

NSSP collaborates with public health agencies and other partners to facilitate the timely exchange of syndromic data and improve the nation’s situational awareness and responsiveness to hazardous events and disease outbreaks. 

More information on NSSP is available.

Management of the statewide syndromic surveillance system is housed within the Division for Regional and Local Health Operations (RLHO), with support from Information Technology Public Health Applications team. Several DSHS Divisions may review data, assist with standardizing data queries, provide support for LHDs and PHRs during investigations of outbreaks or potential outbreaks, and assist RLHO with data and trend analysis, including statewide trends. These Divisions include, but are not limited to, Community Health Improvement, Office of the Chief State Epidemiologist, Infectious Disease Prevention and Public Health Laboratory. DSHS PHRs and LHDs assist recruiting data providers in their jurisdiction and DSHS.

Data providers participate in the system by submitting admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) data. Data providers may review data, assist with efforts to standardize data queries, provide support during investigations of outbreaks or potential outbreaks, and assist with data and trend analysis.

RLHO coordinates with health associations [such as the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals (TORCH)] to provide education to and obtain feedback from their members regarding the TxS2 program and promote ESSENCE use.