Sallie Milam, JD, CIPP/US/G, is a deputy director of the Network’s Mid-States Region Office. Sallie has practiced law for over 25 years primarily in the health, HIPAA and general privacy areas. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional, with U.S. and government privacy certifications. She has extensive experience in working with state agencies on data related issues. From 2003 to 2018, Sallie served as West Virginia’s chief privacy officer and led the executive branch’s privacy program. Previously, Sallie facilitated data sharing through her service as the West Virginia Health Care Authority’s privacy officer and as HIPAA senior legal counsel, where she led HIPAA privacy implementation across the West Virginia executive branch. Additionally, she was the first executive director of the West Virginia Health Information Network, which is West Virginia’s statewide health information exchange, and was West Virginia’s project director for its Nationwide Health Information Network contract.

Articles & Resources

COVID-19 FAQs for Michigan Local Health Departments

FAQMichiganMid-States RegionPublic Health Advocacy and Decision-MakingPublic Health Authority

December 15, 2021
by Carrie Waggoner, Colleen Healy Boufides, Denise Chrysler, Jennifer Piatt, Kathleen Hoke, Peter D. Jacobson and Sallie Milam

In addressing questions regarding executive decision-making, we use the following general approach. Michigan’s Public Health Code grants public health officials considerable discretion to protect the public against communicable disease and environmental health threats. To exercise their broad grant of authority, the executive must ask three key questions: Can I? Must I? Should I?

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Improving Data Sharing for Tribal Health: What Public Health Departments Need to Understand About HIPAA Data Privacy Requirements

Law & Policy InsightsHealth Information and Data SharingMechanisms for Advancing Health EquityTribal Health

December 2, 2021
by Sallie Milam

Tribes, tribal organizations and Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) need continuous and routine access to comprehensive and specific public health data to drive public health decision making, just as state and local health departments do, particularly during the current pandemic.  Sharing these data with tribal public health authorities is essential to address the health disparities experienced by American Indians and Alaska Natives. However, due to confusion around HIPAA Privacy Rule requirements, many health departments are unaware that they are able to share public health data with any other public health authority, including tribal organizations and TECs.  

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Q&A on Racial Equity Throughout Data Integration

Law & Policy InsightsCOVID-19COVID-19 and Health EquityCOVID-19: Health Data Sharing and PrivacyMechanisms for Advancing Public HealthHealth Information and Data Sharing

October 15, 2020
by Sallie Milam

The Network has partnered with All In Data for Community Health on a series of webinars focused on racial equity and data integration. In this excerpt of a webinar Q&A, Sallie Milam, Deputy Director of the Network’s Mid-States Region, shares her perspective on why racial equity matters and where trust-building can occur in the data life cycle, including her work with Tribal communities.

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Data Governance Strategies for States and Tribal Nations

Fact SheetHealth Information and Data SharingTribal Health

September 10, 2020
by Sallie Milam

The health and wellness of tribal nations depend on effective data collection and analysis. Despite being sovereign nations, tribes need help from the states in gathering the data needed to improve tribal health and well-being, but a lack of trust has interfered with data sharing arrangements. The keys to establishing and maintaining trust are respecting tribal data sovereignty and honoring the United States’ trust responsibility to tribal nations. This fact sheet focuses on strategies states should take to support indigenous data sovereignty.   

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Legal Requirements and Tools for Sharing Data with Police Departments to Prevent and Respond to Opioid Overdoses

Fact SheetFederal Privacy LawsSubstance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction

August 21, 2020
by Denise Chrysler and Sallie Milam

Some police departments in Michigan participate in the Families Against Narcotics Comeback Quick Response Team (FAN COMEBACK QRT). The purpose of this initiative is to collaborate across the community to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses. Partners include police departments, substance use treatment providers, recovery services, peer support services and community support services.

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