Jean McCathern

Running a state government is a complex undertaking, requiring a vast network of departments, people, and processes to meet the diverse needs of constituents. State and local agencies need a partner to leverage digital modernization to deliver improved citizen experiences, process efficiency, and compliance through a holistic, strategic approach.   State and local agencies also need a partner to help them adhere to the highest levels of security compliance. We secure state and local government systems through a Zero Trust, defense-in-depth approach that safeguards states’ digital assets and maintains public trust.   Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e2aVRde4   #DMIDoMore #StateandLocal #DigitalTransformation

36

1 Comment

The 2023 Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey highlighted common challenges participants face when shopping for WIC-approved foods, such as locating eligible items, brand availability, and checkout scanning errors. To address these issues and enhance the participant experience, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services is partnering with Westat to redesign the NH WIC Food Booklet. We are committed to creating materials that are clear, accessible, and easy for families to use. This effort is part of NH’s broader strategy to modernize WIC, making it more efficient, responsive, and effective for participants.

33

1 Comment

ICYMI: Lehigh Valley Health Network saved $13M by cleaning house 🧹💸 With help from ELLKAY, they decommissioned legacy systems and archived their data—without missing a beat.   The results? ✅ 100+ outdated apps retired ✅ 60% drop in operating and maintenance fees ✅ 78K+ users accessing secure, centralized data   It’s not too late for your own spring cleaning. Clear out the clutter, cut costs, and future-proof your data management.   Time to declutter your data and spark actual joy. 👉 Read the full success story: https://lnkd.in/eKTvpA4p

27

1 Comment

Vinfen is proud to announce that we are one of 13 nonprofit recipients of Essex County Community Foundation’s (ECCF) $627,000 grant that will support efforts in empowering Essex County residents with the digital tools they need to navigate everyday life. Vinfen programs in Essex County will receive $50,000 in funding which will expand access to technology and the skills to use it for people with serious mental health conditions and disabilities. This includes access to laptops, internet access, and digital literacy training to help individuals obtain living-wage jobs, leverage educational opportunities, connect with critical social services, meet with healthcare providers and stay in touch with family and friends. We sincerely thank ECCF for this generous funding that will profoundly impact our community by furthering our digital equity initiatives. You can find more details about the ECCF digital equity partnerships and funding here: https://bit.ly/3EBuHsn #ECCFGrantee #DigitalEquity

52

6 Comments

📣Exciting developments from the teams at the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs(DDAP) and the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience Pennsylvania (CODE PA)📣👏🏾 We are expediting the process of ordering naloxone for community partners. These efforts focus on improving access to this critical medication, ensuring swift delivery to save lives. 🔹 Recent updates to the ordering system, coupled with user-friendly enhancements, have led to a 50% reduction in delays, streamlined manual tasks, and simplified the process for Pennsylvanians seeking vital support. 🔹 In the first half of 2025, our collaborative efforts resulted in over 6,100 instances of overdose reversals attributed to naloxone through our program. 🔹 DDAP's Overdose Prevention Program is instrumental in providing naloxone and other overdose prevention supplies at zero cost to individuals across the Commonwealth. For more information on the Shapiro Administration's endeavors to combat substance use disorder and access available resources, explore DDAP's website at https://lnkd.in/ekzZisyp. #Pennsylvania #OverdosePrevention #DDAP #CODEPA

62

3 Comments

Local nonprofit news organizations are directly serving their communities — and it isn't always through providing news. After an investigation by AJP-supported Connecticut Mirror found that thousands of Connecticut residents could be drinking water from lead pipes, the news organization created an online database for readers to check their addresses. CT Mirror also began offering free water testing for residents who received notice that they could be drinking lead-contaminated water. This is what trusted #localnews looks like: equipping people with the tools and information they need to connect with resources and take action in their communities. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gaNKBgbC

19

📰 🚨 💷 Localis responds to Spending Review 2025 💷🚨📰 https://lnkd.in/emZ6smxX Local government and the local state will take some initial heart from the central thrust of the spending review, especially the promised land of multi-year settlements, improved needs assessments and simplified funding landscape to return local government to a sustainable financial position. This will provide the sector with greater certainty in long-term financial planning it has been yearning for. Looking at the settlement itself, attention must focus on the implications of day-to-day revenue expenditure on frontline services, the promise of a £113bn uplift in capital expenditure for regional infrastructure projects and how changes to welfare provision through annual managed expenditure (AME) totals will impact localities. The review promises an increase in funding available for adult social care of over £4 billion in 2028-29 compared to this year, but until we have some fix on long-term funding of social care upon completion of Dame Louise Casey’s review, we will have to reserve judgment on the sustainability of local public services. Certainty is a virtue but does not in itself plug the funding gap local government finance directors must hope to close nor the expectation gap of residents paying more each year in council tax for fewer visible benefits. Indirectly, revenue limitations on other departmental areas such criminal justice and police, flood defences and transport, will also have a direct knock-on impact on place across the spending review period. Angela Rayner has secured a big win for affordable and social housing with a £39bn funding boost over the next decade. The quantum is not big enough on its own to make the sort of generational shift in housing provision we saw in the immediate post war era, but in the circumstances, and with an extra £10bn for financial investments through Homes England to crowd in private investment, it is a highly creditable bit of spending review negotiating by MHCLG. Beyond this, and as Localis’s recent report ‘New Stable’ suggested, there is a similar amount available from surpluses in the Local Government Pension Scheme, some of which could be safely directed to invest in critical local and regional infrastructure, which should by rights also include affordable housing. In respect of the new changes to the Treasury ‘Green Book’ and place-based investment cases, again we will have to pay attention to how many billions of projected capital expenditure escape from the pages and into the wild to help pump up and provide long-neglected regional infrastructure, energy and housing schemes. The revised ‘Green Book’ will favour investment in particular parts of the country rather than where it is easiest to secure return on investment, and is potentially bad news for place leaders in London and the greater South East.

18

4 Comments

Designed with rural users in mind, built on Drupal 10, and fully aligned with OMB M-23-22, Section 508, and the 21st Century IDEA Act the USDA.gov redesign improves how producers access tools, services, and programs. RIVA led the way using our Integrated Digital Experience (iDX) framework. See how ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eedqny-w

27

1 Comment

DCNR is helping to close trail gaps across the state. In the past two years, four of PA's Top 10 Trail Gaps have been closed, so we've identified some new gaps to add to our list. The Exploring Pennsylvania’s Top Ten Trail Gaps story map has been updated to include these new gaps: https://lnkd.in/enM6BSdx

44

3 Comments

⚠️ The decommission date for the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS.gov), initially set for November 30, 2025, has been moved to early 2026. This change was implemented to provide federal agencies and contractors with adequate time to finalize their reporting tasks following the recent government shutdown. The exact date for decommission will be announced in the upcoming weeks.   Work is underway to bring subcontract reporting into SAM.gov. The new service will use existing contract data to simplify submissions and improve accuracy. Capabilities will shift in phases with a main release planned for Q2 FY26. Users should close out open tasks and download needed data ahead of the transition. More information is available at SAM.gov/esrs. #ArmySmallBiz

61

Data Quality Campaign features Donna Campbell's bill codifying an Early Childhood Integrated Data System. By improving transparency across state agencies, we can improve government efficiency while also ensuring more young learners receive high-quality care. Learn more ⬇️: https://ow.ly/N1eL50XaMfb

6