KEYWORD1:
Community Based Partnerships, Model Projects, Access, and Barriers

BACKGROUND:
In partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has launched the Childhood Immunization Support Program (CISP). This program aims to improve childhood immunization coverage rates by improving pediatrician immunization delivery practices.
The Community Access To Child Health (CATCH) program is a broad-based community partnership that increases children’s access to medical homes or to specific health services not otherwise available. Through the CISP, 6 CATCH planning grants have been awarded to pediatricians and communities involved community-based immunization projects. The CISP will present on the progress and lessons learned from the 6 CATCH grant recipients.

OBJECTIVE:
• Report on model community based immunization projects
• Identify opportunities for community partnerships to increase immunization coverage
• Recommend strategies to decrease local barriers to immunizations

METHOD:
The CISP has supported the CATCH Program by providing funding for planning projects that seek to improve immunization rates in children. The CATCH Planning Funds program provides grants, in amounts from $2,500 to $10,000, for pediatricians and pediatricians in training to develop proposals for innovative community-based child health projects. Resources and technical assistance are made available to CATCH grant recipients throughout the funding years.

RESULT:
Community-based immunization project models and lessons learned from the CATCH planning grant recipients will be offered in the following areas:
1) Identifying Immunization Barriers Among Asian American and Pacific Islander Children
2) Improving Access to Immunizations in High-risk Rural Alaska Natives
3) Creating Community-based Collaborations to Improve Local Immunization Coverage
4) Increasing Immunization Levels in New Immigrant/Refugee Populations.

CONCLUSION:
Community-based partnerships are effective in developing comprehensive strategies to decrease local barriers to immunizations.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:
• Understand the importance of community-based partnerships to increase immunizations
• Discuss local barriers to immunizations
• Discuss effective strategies to developing community-based partnerships