The COVID-19 pandemic was an important lesson for public health officials that their surveillance needs can evolve and change quickly - from ramping up testing, to building up a contact tracing workforce, to creating a database for vaccinations.

On this bonus episode, Jim Ivey, chief operating officer at Chexout - a company that helps public health organizations digitize their clinics and operations - discusses the importance of interoperability.

Ivey makes the case that public health organizations need to invest in software that will adapt to their changing needs in both ongoing disease outbreaks and emerging infections, adding a robust, up-to-date data dashboard can make the difference between an economy closing down or staying open.