Carlos Rivero: Data Sharing is Helping to Address the Opioid Epidemic in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Carlos Rivero, Chief Data Officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia
discusses how his team built a better data governance framework
to help address the State’s opioid epidemic  


Drug overdose deaths in the United States have accelerated during
the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CDC. Synthetic opioids
are driving this increase, nearly 40% more opioid-related deaths
were reported year-on-year in May 2020.


In this week’s episode of the Business of Data Podcast, Carlos
Rivero, Chief Data Officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia
discusses how improved data sharing and governance has helped the
State’s worsening opioid epidemic.  


“When you think of the opioid problem, it isn't one-dimensional.
It isn't just a law enforcement problem, it isn't just a health
science problem, it isn't just a community problem. It's an
overall problem that has multiple facets to it,” says Rivero.
“So, being able to connect with a council that has multiple
representatives from each of these different industries
participating in it, one of the biggest concerns was how do we
share data?”


Creating a Data Governance Framework


Rivero is responsible for 63 executive branch agencies and 133
localities in the State. A top priority when he joined the agency
in 2018 was building a data governance framework to make data
sharing easier.


Rivero’s first task was to establish communication between
stakeholders at all levels in the data management cycle to
address complex multidisciplinary issues that one agency cannot
address alone.


“The number one [priority] was to establish a governance
framework that allowed people to participate in the discussion of
how we best leverage our data assets,” he says. 


After that, Rivero focused on improving data discoverability and
creating a data trust model that could be implemented across the
State.


“The Commonwealth data trust is all about [creating a] legal
framework that facilitates confidence and trust in our ability to
manage these restricted use sensitive data assets,” Rivero
explains.


How Data Use Evolved to Address Statewide Health Problems


One of Rivero’s biggest successes in the Commonwealth is a
substance use disorder project focused on addiction analysis and
community transformation.


Starting in Winchester, Virginia, a small community in the
Northwest of the State, Rivero’s team implemented a pilot program
that aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of data to address the
region’s opioid problem.


“We were looking at that [community] as a microcosm for what
happens in the larger scale across the Commonwealth with regards
to data sharing, but then deriving intelligence from the data
assets that are being collected from a wide variety of different
organizations,” says Rivero.


Ultimately, the success of the project in facilitating data
sharing and making intelligence available has seen it rolled out
across four other regions of the commonwealth. Not only that, but
the systems that Rivero’s team built were also implemented into
the State’s pandemic response.


“We took all of that and implemented it for the COVID 19 pandemic
response,” Rivero concludes. “So, what you're seeing is a very
fast evolution of the data, trust, the governance framework, the
technology platforms, and all of the components that go together
to make data sharing analytics and intelligence possible.”


Key Takeaways


• Increasing communication amongst stakeholders is key.
Implementing a data governance framework requires efficient
cross-team communication


• Creating a data trust increases confidence in data. The legal
framework of a data trust increases confidence around the use of
sensitive data


• Apply your experience to new problems. Governance frameworks
and technology platforms can be used to address new challenges