Achieving coverage rate increases Closing the Gap.
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Transcript of Achieving coverage rate increases Closing the Gap.
Achieving coverage rate increases
Closing the Gap
Our destinations
How the itinerary was chosen
• Grantees with greatest absolute % increase in coverage levels from 2001 to 2004 NIS were defined as “most improved” and received awards at NIC 2006
• Visited all 7 awardees between September and November 2006
Study Objectives
• Meet with key staff and external partners
• Identify program characteristics and interventions that led to increased childhood immunization coverage levels
• Find common themes and share information with all grantees
What we heard…
What we heard…
Starting at the top
• Leadership is everything• Identify trusted immunization leaders to
continually promote importance of vaccination:– Political (governor, mayor, congress member,
secretary of health, etc)
– Medical provider (AAP member, local respected private physician)
The importance of “culture”
• Know your community
• Understand local attitudes and values
– Public health
– Medical practice
– Community
Ah, relationships…
• Reach out and partner:– WIC practices – Private practices
– AAP/AAFP – Hospitals
– MCOs – Universities
– Schools/daycares – Parent groups
– Media reps. – Pharm. reps
• Build a coalition that extends access into your communities
• Evaluate your VFC and AFIX programs– What is working? What could be better?
• Use VFC and/or AFIX visits to develop relationships with private practices
• Take all opportunities to educate • Be a resource, not a regulator• Be accessible and responsive
Raising provider awareness
Data, data, data
What’s passion got to do with it?
• Devotion to the cause• Like who?
– Internal staff at all levels
– External partners: Coalition leaders, local practitioners, organizations, and service clubs (Kiwanis, Rotary)
• You can’t teach passion, but you can find it in your community
Maintaining visibility
• Through……– Good leadership
– Understanding your environment
– Strong partners/collaborators
– Raising awareness
– Using data
– Devoted staff and community members
Challenges we all face
• Could the immunization schedule be any more confusing?
• Getting accurate records & timely entry of data • Access to provider offices (AFIX visits)• Exemptors• Immunization fatigue• Working with daycare providers• Reimbursement for providers
Next steps (2007)
• Visit programs with consistently high coverage levels– Identify factors that make that possible
• Visit program with lower coverage levels– Understand their barriers and challenges