KEYWORDS:
Adult Immunization, Partnerships

BACKGROUND:
Stratis Health, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Minnesota, and eight managed health care plans with Medicare+Choice and/or Medicaid contracts worked together to develop a coordinated immunization initiative. The group determined project goals, measurement methodologies, and intervention strategies. The state's Department of Human Services and the Department of Health support the collaboration. Health plan, QIO, and other partners' resources are being pooled to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of interventions.

OBJECTIVE(S):
1) Increase pneumococcal and influenza vaccination rates by improving processes within clinics and long-term care facilities.
2) Decrease the burden on clinics and long-term care facilities by coordinating stakeholders to present a coordinated message and interventions.

METHOD(S):
The health plans and the QIO have been working collaboratively with clinics and nursing homes to help them increase their systematic assessment of vaccination status and to help them develop a policy for vaccine administration. The health plans and the QIO are providing the following tools and services to clinics and nursing homes to develop and support their interventions to achieve sustainable improvement: consultation, quality resources kits that contain evidence-based tools and materials, education and training, data assistance, and on-going support.

RESULT(S):
Baseline measurements are available, remeasurement results are pending.

CONCLUSIONS(S):
The health plans were able to set aside competitive issues to develop a unique coordinated project under QIO leadership resulting in benefits for all involved. The health plans were able to leverage limited resources to reach more of their members by working collaboratively with the other plans to achieve improvement. Clinics and long-term care facilities received receive coordinated messages, interventions, and data requests, rather than something different from each health plan.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
· Describe key methods for and lessons learned from convening and managing the partnership
· Discuss goals, timeline, and interventions
· Share measurement methodologies and baseline results
· Discuss the partnership's future plans