BACKGROUND:
The Kansas Immunization Program received funding from the Kansas Children’s Cabinet with the goal being to raise immunization rates of Medicaid Children in the state. They asked we create a project to increase Medicaid immunization rates.

OBJECTIVE:
The Kansas Immunization Program has partnered with local health departments in 10 counties to focus on using an incentive program. We set a goal of raising the Medicaid immunization rates by 10% across 10 counties.

METHOD:
Our incentive program is 2 fold. Parents receive an Incentive each time they bring in their child in to be immunized. Incentives include Infant Tylenol, Digital Thermometers, First Aid Kits and $10 worth of free food coupons from Sonic Drive-Ins. If child completes primary series (4-3-1-3-3), they become eligible for the grand prize drawing to be held September 2004. There are 3 grand prizes per county: 1) $150 pre-paid phone card for local and long distance calling 2) $300 paid toward the utility bill of their choice, Water, Gas, Electric 3) All expense paid 2 night hotel weekend and family passes to Kansas’ nicest Sedgwick County Zoo.

RESULT:
Our project has just recently completed its first quarter so we don’t have a firm idea of the results at this point. In our first month and a half, we successfully completed 250 children, and this number does not include the number of children who are currently participating toward their successful completion. Our outreach efforts reach 11, 200 families in our counties.

CONCLUSION:
We have had tremendous feedback and acceptance of our program by not only the health departments that we are working with, but by Medicaid families also. This was to be a one-time project, but we have already been contacted by the Children’s Cabinet to send in a budget to hopefully continue and expand this project.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1)Receive information on how we formed partnerships with local health departments, VFC providers, local and national businesses.
2)To be able to share ideas of what has worked well in gaining support of our project helping to raise immunization rates.