KEYWORDS:
Immunization practices improvement, VFC-AFIX

BACKGROUND:
In 1995, the Minnesota legislature mandated that all clinics, that use pediatric vaccines and are a medical assistance provider (essentially all MN providers), enroll in the Minnesota Vaccines for Children (MnVFC) program. To date, 98% of MN clinics have enrolled in MNVFC. In order to monitor the immunization services and MnVFC program accountability within these clinics, MDH has developed the Immunization Practices Improvement (IPI) program as a means to conduct a provider-based assessment, more commonly known as AFIX.

OBJECTIVE(S):
IPI visits are designed to help clinics evaluate immunization-related practices and policies, and identify improvement needs within their practice. In order to facilitate collaboration between public health and private sector providers, MDH provided training to local public health agencies (LPHA) to prepare them to conduct clinic assessments. Having local public health conduct site visits strengthens their existing relationships with providers in their area.

METHOD(S):
MDH developed IPI materials including a clinic questionnaire, sample letters, a resource packet, and a post clinic evaluation. A statewide satellite conference was held to train local public health agencies (LPHA) on how to conduct the clinic assessments, provide CASA training, and distribute IPI materials. Each LPHA received an IPI visit by the state health department before proceeding with conducting their own IPI visits within their local jurisdiction. A post clinic evaluation is requested of each clinic that has received an IPI visit.

RESULT(S):
MDH will present assessment findings and clinic feedback from the IPI visits that have been conducted to date.

CONCLUSIONS(S):
Collaboration of state and local public health agencies assures a more expeditious means of providing ongoing assessments to providers of immunization services. Findings will support that a local approach facilitates ongoing communication and cooperation between the private and public sector immunization providers.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
To understand a decentralized approach for assessing clinic immunization practices.