Strengthening Connections in Syndromic Surveillance
OVERVIEW
Kahuina partnered with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) to plan and deliver the Fifth Annual Syndromic Surveillance Symposium—its most attended event to date. Through trusted collaboration and a streamlined planning process, we created an engaging virtual experience that strengthened knowledge sharing across syndromic surveillance practitioners nationwide.
CHALLENGE… AND OPPORTUNITY
Syndromic surveillance practitioners across State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial (STLT) jurisdictions respond to evolving and nascent public health threats with limited time and staff capacity. They often navigate multiple, fragmented reporting systems to respond effectively to local priorities, identify unusual patterns, and coordinate timely interventions. Data quality challenges, including variability in completeness and representativeness among jurisdictions, add further complexity.
The 2025 Syndromic Surveillance Symposium aimed to deliver high-quality technical content that addressed these diverse needs and foster meaningful connections among practitioners dispersed across time zones and zip codes. Together with CSTE, we offered a dynamic, interactive virtual event that elevated practitioner voices, highlighted innovative solutions, and strengthened the national community of practice.
KAHUINA’S APPROACH
To meet this goal, CSTE turned to Kahuina’s strengths in facilitation, rapid planning, and human-centered design, as well as our syndromic surveillance expertise. Together, we co-designed and delivered a seamless and engaging virtual event.
Our methods included:
Purpose-driven event design
We planned, designed, and coordinated, with the support of the National Syndromic Surveillance Program Community of Practice (NSSP CoP), CSTE staff, and other NSSP subject matter experts, to develop participant-driven technical content with opportunities for collaboration. We facilitated rapid planning sessions with CSTE and subject matter experts to identify priority themes, incorporate lessons from prior events, and ensure alignment with evolving practitioner needs. This process allowed us to build a balanced agenda that integrated technical learning with opportunities for peer connection.
Comprehensive speaker support
Our team managed every step of speaker preparation, from tailored content‑development sessions to technical run‑throughs and facilitation planning. By guiding speakers through a consistent preparation framework, we ensured sessions were cohesive, accessible, and responsive to practitioner questions and real‑world challenges. We created the Symposium program, tracked abstracts, confirmed speakers and moderators, and prepared all session materials.
Inclusive engagement strategies
We designed interactive features to broaden participation and elevate diverse perspectives, including real‑time polls, guided small‑group discussions, and accessible session materials. Our team of expert facilitators led the multi-day meeting, moderating plenary conversations, coordinating interactive tools, and creating a welcoming environment that encouraged practitioners to share insights and learn from one another.
This process, supplemented by applying the lessons learned from past Symposia, promoted an engaging, participant-driven experience that was a “refreshing and inspiring space”.
RESULTS
The 2025 Symposium reached record attendance, drawing from over 50 jurisdictions across the country.
Practitioners left the Symposium with new connections and strengthened professional networks, practical insights they could immediately apply to surveillance workflows, and a renewed sense of community.
Kahuina’s subject matter expertise, facilitation skills, and unique collaboration techniques enabled CSTE to deliver a flagship event that advanced national syndromic surveillance practices and reinforced the power of a connected, informed practitioner community.