About the Local Information Network and Communications System (LINCS)

Community Health Alert & Information Networks (CHAIN)

Funding and Support

In 1997, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), Office of Local Health, in cooperation with New Jersey's local health departments, established the Local Information Network and Communications System (LINCS). Using Internet-based technologies, LINCS is an electronic information system that is expected to support interactive reporting, health data analysis, and the dissemination of public health information between the DHSS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health departments, health care providers and emergency responders. The goals and vision for LINCS, as a statewide system, support the concept of regionalized and coordinated public health assessment, disease and hazardous condition identification, and rapid response and containment of incidents which threaten health.

In 1998, LINCS was deployed to 24 local public health agencies (one per county and three major cities, including Jersey City, Paterson and Newark). At that time, each agency was equipped with hardware and software providing Internet access and secure e-mail capabilities through a centralized LINCS server maintained by the New Jersey Institute for Technology (NJIT). LINCS agencies also participate in the New Jersey Immunization Information System (NJIIS), a statewide electronic registry of children and immunization records, which builds on relationships between medicine and public health to improve childhood immunization rates in New Jersey. In the future, LINCS will also use Computer-Mediated Conferencing (CMC) technology to facilitate both private and public discussion groups and an electronic bulletin board for information exchange.

Community Health Alert & Information Networks (CHAIN)

Presently, each of New Jersey's 115 local health departments is being integrated into LINCS and connected with its respective LINCS agency. In addition, all LINCS agencies, in cooperation with the local health departments within their respective regions, are developing a Community Health Alert and Information Network (CHAIN) which will connect public health departments with community partners such as hospitals, laboratories, emergency responders, medical providers, schools and other organizations for information sharing and response to public health incidents. Through the CHAIN, important public health information can be collected and disseminated very rapidly via fax, e-mail and by telephone. The Health Department operates the CHAIN on 24/7 basis.  This allows CHAIN members to receive the most accurate and up-to date information.

New Jersey's public health alert system, an initiative which has progressed over the last 10-15 years from a telephone notification system to a sequential broadcast fax system and now to Internet e-mail, is being integrated with each CHAIN. By using Internet e-mail and personal pager technologies, we will be able to significantly decrease information dissemination times, increase the number of key recipients of important public health information, and reduce response times to protect health.

The information disseminated through the CHAIN includes health alerts, advisories and updates provided by state and federal health agencies.  The Health Department also disseminates general health information necessary to improve the health and well-being of Cape May County residents. 

Typical information provided through the CHAIN includes:

The CHAIN currently consists of over 1,000 community partners.  CHAIN participants include local government officials, public health and safety professionals, veterinarians, local healthcare providers, local businesses, schools and educational institutes, and community and civic organizations.  The benefits of being a CHAIN participant include:

• Receiving up-to-date, timely and accurate information.
• Receiving information that helps you make informed decisions about your health and well-being.
• Ability to easily communicate with the Health Department and other community partners.
• Serving as a key communicator to the citizens of Cape May County.

Join now by downloading and returning the form in the LINCS Informational Pamphlet. or by completing the LINCS Member data sheet.

If you receive Health Alert messages,  please complete the Health Alert Network Evaluation Form

Funding and Support

Over the past several years, LINCS activities have been largely supported by state and local budgets. For the past few fiscal years, additional funds in Public Health Priority Funding (State Aid) was legislatively appropriated and has been made available to local health departments for the purpose of improving their information technology capacities (hardware, software, Internet service/e-mail, informatics training, etc.) to access and use LINCS. These funds are being used assess current needs and developing a strategic plan that will address the integration of existing data, information, reporting and communications systems with LINCS. In addition, the 24 LINCS agencies collectively contributed an estimated $1 million annually in in-kind services to support the goals and objectives of LINCS. LINCS agencies have used local funds to establish systems coordinator staff positions, to support telecommunications connectivity to LINCS and the Internet, to support NJIIS activities, and to begin building their countywide CHAIN systems. New Jersey was also awarded funding in 2002 (annually renewable for 3 years) as part of CDC's Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Cooperative Agreement. Greater than $600,000 will help New Jersey build a statewide Health Alert Network and advance its plans for LINCS.

Questions regarding NJ LINCS should be directed to the Office of Local Health at 609-292-4993.

Many of the below listed features are operational while others are in the early phases of implementation while some others are just a concept at this time.  

Features of NJ LINCS:

• Health Statistics
• Electronic Birth Certificate
• NJ Immunization Information System (Immunization Registry)
• Communicable Disease Surveillance
• Tuberculosis
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Childhood Blood Lead
• Hospital Resistant Pathogens
• Hazardous Chemical Inventory
• Hazardous Site Information
• Adult Blood Lead
• Cancer Data
• Electronic Death Certificates  

If you would like to find out more information about the progression of NJ LINCS in Cape May County, please contact  Barbara Beck, LINCS Coordinator, at (609) 463-6692.