This session will explore how public health professionals can responsibly access and use sensitive data—especially from underserved communities—without compromising trust, ethics, or compliance. Drawing from real-world experience supporting the FDA, NIH-funded research networks, and federal health systems, the talk will break down practical strategies to navigate DUAs, IRBs, and HIPAA considerations. Participants will leave with a clear framework for building equitable, audit-ready data processes that support innovation without increasing institutional risk. Whether you're launching a new program, leading research, or advocating for data access, this session will help you move from risk to resilience.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify common governance and compliance challenges that slow down data access in public health programs
2. Describe strategies to ethically access and share sensitive data while maintaining community trust
3. Understand how to apply regulatory frameworks like HIPAA and IRB oversight in practice
4. Implement foundational steps to build equity-centered data governance within their own organization or agency