A publication of the Immunization Action Coalition of WA (IACW) and WithinReach
January 2019
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Greetings!
Happy New Year!
At WithinReach we hope that you had a healthy and happy end to 2018 and that your 2019 looks bright!
The conclusion of 2018 brought together the Executive Committee of the Immunization Action Coalition of WA which reflected on the successes of 2018 and set our priorities for 2019 (see below!).
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Immunity Community Highlight of the Month:
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Agenda:
- 2019 Legislative Session: WA State DOH & Carrie Glover, WithinReach
- What’s the Latest in HPV & Improving Our Rates: Teal Bell & Danielle Koenig, DOH and Amy Kellogg, Coordinated Care
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Register today to attend our first virtual IACW Meeting! Because of major traffic disruptions in the Seattle Area in January, we’ve decided to host our Quarterly meeting via Webinar.
Click here
to register for the event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
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Our 2019 priorities are to:
- Monitor legislation and advocate for policies that promote and maintain access to immunizations.
- Develop and promote educational opportunities for providers.
- Advocate for and support the utilization of the WA Immunization Information System and School Module.
- Engage with non-traditional immunizers to address immunization gaps and barriers.
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Congrats to HPV Warrior & HPV Champion!
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HPV WARRIOR:
The American Cancer Society Washington Board of Advisors presented Amy Kellogg (pictured right), Quality Improvement Manager with Coordinated Care, with the HPV Warrior Award for 2018. Amy received this award in recognition of her dedication and passion in increasing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates for her adolescent members and the community. This was achieved by implementing a variety of interventions and working as a team to address challenges in all facets of patient care to include administrative and clinical staff. Thank you, Amy, for all your time and effort as a warrior in this cause.
HPV VACCINE IS CANCER PREVENTION CHAMPION:
WA State DOH is proud to announce that
Polyclinic Pediatrics
has been selected as the 2018 HPV Is Cancer Prevention Champion for Washington. The CDC, the Association of American Cancer Institutes, and the American Cancer Society have partnered to create this award program to recognize clinicians, practices, and health systems that go above and beyond to foster HPV vaccination among adolescents in their community. This year, champions from 32 states have been honored.
Polyclinic Pediatrics and Dr. Sherri Zorn have implemented strategies that improved HPV vaccination rates, including:
• Increasing visibility of HPV vaccine education materials.
• Offering proactive recommendations across the practice for all eligible patients.
• Sending systematic reminders for patients who are due or overdue for HPV vaccination.
Not only has this work led to success at their practice, but Dr. Zorn has shared HPV vaccine advocacy and best practices across the state. Polyclinic Pediatrics is a strong example of HPV vaccination efforts across the Polyclinic system, other health systems, and regional and statewide collaboratives.
DOH would also would like to thank and recognize our other nominees, Sea Mar Community Health Centers and International Community Health Services, for their outstanding work with HPV vaccination for adolescents.
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Although CDC reports that flu activity is increasing, a silver lining is that
flu vaccine uptake has increased
so far this season, up 7% in kids and 6.4% in adults.
Please keep vaccinating!
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Voices for Vaccines invites Dr. LJ Tan–onto their latest podcast to ask him about influenza past and future, how to improve vaccine uptake, who needs a flu shot, and more!
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Be sure to keep abreast of the latest flu activity at
FluView
, the CDC's Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report.
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This conference call is for pro-vaccine advocates, healthcare providers, and public health people. We will discuss the most common topics that cause concern about vaccines.
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FOIA is the abbreviation for the Freedom of Information Act and FACA is the abbreviation for the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Dorit Rubinstein Reiss is a professor of law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Her research and activities are focused on legal issues related to vaccines, including exemption laws and tort liability related to non-vaccination. She has published several law review and peer-reviewed articles and many blog posts on legal issues related to vaccines. Dorit is a member of the Parents Advisory Board of Voices for Vaccines, and is active in multiple additional vaccine advocacy efforts.
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Presenters Patti Wukovits and Alicia Stillman will provide background on Meningitis B, including symptoms, prevalence and available vaccines, and why vaccination is critical among high-risk groups, particularly those aged 16-23. They will also share an overview of their latest initiative, the Meningitis B Action Project, and how it can support local healthcare practitioners, school administrators and advocates and opportunities for getting involved.
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Warm Welcome to Kathy Bay!
Kathy Bay has joined the DOH Office of Immunization and Child Profile as the Clinical and Quality Assurance section manager. This is the position formerly held by Julie Tomaro.
Kathy has a long career in nursing and clinical care that will benefit all aspects of our work and strengthen our work with and support of the healthcare community. She has a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from University of San Francisco and a Master’s Degree in Nursing from the University of Washington. Kathy comes to us from DOH Health Services Quality Assurance division where she has been working as a nurse consultant investigator for ambulatory surgery centers and renal dialysis facilitates. Previously Kathy worked for 8 years at St Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor as Director of the Emergency Department and then Chief Nursing Officer. She also served for 20 years in the US Navy Nurse Corps. Kathy can be reached at
Kathy.Bay@doh.wa.gov
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2019 IMMUNIZE WA PROVIDER RECOGNITION PROGRAM IS UNDERWAY
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Nominate Your Clinic for Immunize WA!
The Health Plan Partnership is once again sponsoring the 2019 Immunize WA Provider Recognition Program. Clinics are encouraged to nominate themselves for recognition between now and
February 17th
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All nominees who have achieved immunization rates of 70% or higher qualify for an award. Your clinic will be awarded in April during National Infant Immunization Week in recognition of your commitment to ensuring patients are up-to-date on their immunizations!
To submit a nomination, clinics will need to:
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IACW QUARTERLY MEETING WEBINAR!
January 16, 2019, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Register today to attend our first virtual IACW Meeting! Because of major traffic disruptions in the Seattle Area in January, we've decided to host our Quarterly meeting via Webinar.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
HPV TASK FORCE
January 24, 2019
Vancouver, WA
~details to follow~
2019 NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION CONFERENCE FOR COALITIONS & PARTNERSHIPS
November 13-15, 2019
Honolulu, HI
~
Click here
for more information and to book your hotel~
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QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS?
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Making the connections Washington families need to be healthy and safe. Promoting, protecting & supporting immunization as a vital part of the health and development of children and families.
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Founded in 1994, the Immunization Action Coalition of Washington (IACW), a program of WithinReach, works to improve the health of the community by minimizing the incidence of vaccine preventable diseases through the optimal use of immunizations across the lifespan.
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