# Presentation: 487596

## Strategies to Increase Influenza Vaccination RatesAmong Health Care Personnel

- Sarah Partain, MSN, MBA, RN, CIC
- IHS Open Door Forum
- October 23, 2008

## Southcentral Foundation

- Alaska Native-owned healthcare organization serving Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley, and 60 rural villages in the Anchorage Service Unit.
- Vision: A Native community that enjoys physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness.
- Mission: Working together with the Native community to achieve wellness through health and related services.

## Employee Health Challenges

- Access database used
- Information incomplete and/or inaccurate
- Employee Health was covered by Safety Officer
- Initial TB skin tests and TB exposure follow up only
- Nov 2004: Database changed to OHM for Windows
- Info from old database manually transferred over; corrections not made at time of transfer
- May 2005: Employee Health/Infection Coordinator hired
- No EH or IC experience

## EH/IC Coordinator

- Staffed with 1 RN (me!)
- Responsible for bi-weekly New Hire Orientation
- 2-step TB skin testing
- Updating immunizations as needed
- Checking antibody titers
- Annual EH requirements
- TB skin tests
- Influenza vaccinations
- Respirator fit testing

- Exposure follow up for:
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- TB
- Infection Prevention & Control education

## Influenza Vaccination Challenges

- No one had solid numbers of how many employees received influenza vaccinations.
- Info was entered into RPMS only; not easy to retrieve for employees only.
- Not all employees are beneficiaries
- Safety Officer said he usually ordered 200 doses.
- Employees took vaccine from Pharmacy.
- Pharmacy had factored in for patients only.

## Initial Steps

- 2005: EH ordered 200 doses vaccine in June (very late!) from State Vaccine Depository
- Rec’d 100 doses because of expected shortages
- “Begged” for more vaccine from Pharmacy
- Minimal EH outreach
- Relied on “word of mouth” campaign to let employees know about vaccine availability
- Gave 280 doses total

## 2006

- Ordered 750 doses from IHS Service Supply Center (Ada, OK) in January
- Rec’d order in small amounts between Oct 15 and Dec 1
- Scheduled 3 all day Flu Shot “Clinics”
- “Borrowed” 200 doses from Pharmacy for first Flu Shot Clinic
- Scheduled visits to individual departments at manager’s request
- 650 doses given (~52% workforce vaccinated)
- Lost 100 doses due to refrigeration failure

## 2007

- Ordered 1000 doses from same vendor
- Asked that entire order be shipped in September
- New Joint Commission standard (IC.4.15) in effect 1/1/07 that organization must offer influenza vaccine to employees and volunteers with close patient contact
- Initiated declination form to collect total numbers of employees contacted (modified from Immunization Action Coalition [ http://www.immunize.org ].
- Continued EH visits to off-campus departments.
- Designated EH representatives in some clinical departments to administer vaccine

## 2007 Total Numbers

- 875 employees vaccinated (68% workforce)
- 178 declinations received (8% workforce)
- ~10% of declinations were pregnant women who wanted preservative-free vaccine
- 50 non-employees vaccinated
- Students
- Employee Day Care employees
- CIRI Headquarters

## 2008

- Ordered 1100 doses through Pharmacy Services
- Including 100 doses preservative-free vaccine in response to previous year’s feedback on declination forms
- Initiated “Employee Health Tuesdays” in Primary Care Center
- Continue EH outreach to individual departments, esp. to off-campus locations
- EH reps continue to administer vaccine in selected clinics

## 2008 Goal

- 100% response to flu vaccine campaign
- Vaccinations + Declinations
- Progress to be charted for employees on “thermometer”  goal graph

## Incentives!?

- Jeans Day if individual has completed all EH requirements
- Pizza Party or Ice Cream Social for first department to reach 100% response (vaccinations + declinations)
- Funded by Employee Health

##      Declination of Influenza Vaccination Form (example)