KEYWORDS:
Collaboration, community building, private providers, AFIX, recognition, volunteers, media

BACKGROUND:
A key strategy used to sustain community involvement and coalition success with physicians, volunteers and the media is recognition. An annual awards program provides motivation to community partners working to reach the Healthy People 2010 immunization goals.

OBJECTIVE(S):
To mobilize public and private health care providers to improve access to immunizations for children through recognition of best practices and use of the immunization registry.

METHOD(S):
Positive behaviors of key immunization partners are recognized through annual awards programs. Outstanding commitment by volunteers, media, corporations, policymakers, community-based organizations and health care providers are acknowledged in a highly visible event in a public setting. Best practices of private health care providers reaching 90% immunization coverage levels for child patients are recognized with the prestigious Daniel T. Cloud Outstanding Practice Award. Key elements of successful practices such as registry participation, simultaneous vaccine administration and use of reminder-recall are highlighted.

RESULT(S):
Community partners engage in a public-private collaboration to improve children's access to immunizations. Media, elected officials, managed care plans, community based organizations and outstanding individuals are re-engaged on an annual basis by recognition of positive contributions to the collaboration. In 2000, three health care practices received recognition for reaching 90% immunization coverage levels with child patients in medically underserved communities.

CONCLUSIONS(S):
Substantial progress is made in both the public and private sector to improve children's access to immunizations and preventive health care. Community partners remain involved and committed because they see the successful results of their work through annual award and recognition programs.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Learn to reinforce positive behaviors of key immunization partners through reward and recognition programs.
Describe activities that engage volunteer, media and policymakers in immunization effort.
Facilitate the exchange of best practices and successful immunization strategies through recognition of outstanding health care providers.