KEYWORD1:
Texas Vaccines for Children, Collaboration, Quality Assurance

BACKGROUND:
A change in the Texas Department of Health (TDH) contract with CDC for the Texas Vaccines for Children project resulted in the need to conduct an increased volume of quality assurance site visits for the private sector providers enrolled in the TVFC program, leading to a contract with the Texas Medical Foundation (TMF) to conduct a portion of these site visits.

OBJECTIVE:
Increase the number of site visits conducted at TVFC providers and improve the quality assurance processes.

METHOD:
TMF and TDH staff worked closely together to insure that the instructions for completion of the site visit tools would be as objective and consistent as possible. There is ongoing communication with and feedback from TDH to insure that each site visit is conducted according to program standards.

RESULT:
The collaboration has yielded the following results:
1. Increase in the number of site visits completed at private providers.
2. Refinement of the content of the site visit tools.
3. Clarification of instructions for completion of the site visit tool.
4. Increase in resources available to the assessors and to the providers.
5. Development of an electronic site visit tool, for ease in data collection and analysis.
6. Incorporation of re-enrollment of providers during the site visit
7. Change in responsibility of LHD/RHD re: private providers
8. Plans for development of a web-based system to allow local health department and TDH central office staff access to information regarding status of site visits and site visit results

CONCLUSION:
Collaboration between TDH and TMF has accomplished the original objectives. In addition, this collaboration has resulted in value-added outcomes.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:
Collaboration can result in more than the initial objectives.