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DECEMBER
1999
Immunization
registry news from All Kids Count.
Issue
Number 8
December 22, 1999
Welcome to
SnapShots, All Kids Count's newsletter about the
progress, best practices and accomplishments of
immunization registries across the country.
We invite you to share news about your registry.
Email us: SnapShots@allkidscount.org or
call us at (404) 687-5615 with information about a
successful programmatic or technical
innovation, major accomplishment or
milestone that your registry has reached.
SnapShots is sent to subscribers monthly by
All Kids Count.Current and past issues also
are available on the All Kids Count Website:
www.allkidscount.org
Relationship
Building the Key to Provider Recruitment
Immunization
registries are discovering that bringing private
providers on board with the registry
requires building one-on-one relationships
with private providers and their office staff,
and ensuring that the registry has "added
value" for its users. Registries across
the country employ this traditional
marketing technique to various degrees, depending
on whether or not their registry has a
mandate, the strength of support they have from
providers, and their staffing level. KidsNet in
Rhode Island, an All Kids Count project, recently
conducted a focus group with provider office staff
to take a hard look at why their provider
enrollment was not increasing. The focus
group showed that provider office staff saw the
registry as labor intensive and awkward to use,
and that they did not understand what
it could do for them. Following a staff
retreat to develop strategies for addressing these
concerns, KidsNet not only will be revising its
software, but also rolling out an intensive
customer support and education program.The
program's goals are to help providers see the
registry as a practice management resource;
increase visibility of the registry
with providers and their office staff through
frequent visits; help providers reap the
registry's full benefits by providing
frequent training and re-training on using
registry software; and educate providers and
office staff about the registry's value
through regular communications. KidsNet is
now putting the mechanisms in place to enable the
plan to move forward. The customer service
approach may be a joint effort with the state WIC
program. A summary of the recommended
customer support tactics is available from info@allkidscount.org.
HIPAA
Comment Period Extended
The deadline for commenting on the privacy
regulation published by the Department of
Health and Human Services on Nov. 3 has been
extended from its original deadline of Jan. 3 to
Feb. 17. The proposed rule, summary of the rule,
and a link for providing comments directly to DHHS
are available at http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/admnsimp/index.htm
.
Understanding HIPAA is not easy, but its impact on
immunization registries is anticipated
to be big. Just what HIPAA security and
privacy regulations, or any legislation that is
passed will mean for registries will be
discussed in detail at the Immunization
Registry Conference in March 2000.
Additionally, seminars on "Privacy,
Security & Confidentiality of Medical Records
2000: Complying with New HIPAA Regulations"
are held for professionals in information
technology, risk management, administrators,
and public health officials, and others concerned
with electronic security and privacy issues. Visit
www.nonprofitmgt.com/privacy
for information.
Every Child
By Two Conference: Registries Voted A Top Priority
The importance of immunization registries to a
successful nationwide immunization program
was underscored at the Every Child By Two
meeting held in Washington in early
December. Representatives of immunization programs
and other concerned partners met to set
immunization priorities.Through a
consensus-building process, they identified goals
and strategies to reach them, with registries
ranking second among the goals. Also at the
meeting, the Oklahoma Immunization
Program/Oklahoma State Immunization
Information System (OSIIS) received an
award for Best Use of Data to Improve Public
Health. Monitoring the implementation and
impact of new ACIP recommendations, OSIIS has
been instrumental in shaping the recommendation
regarding the use of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV)
and are currently being used to evaluate the
impact of the AAP/HHS Joint Statement
on Thimerosal Exposure on HepB vaccination
practices. All Kids Count is especially pleased to
note that All Kids Count Director William C.
Watson Jr. was awarded the Legacy of Life
Award for his lifetime of service to public
health, and especially to immunization efforts,
not just in the nation, but worldwide. Check
the Every Child By Two web site, www.ecbt.org,
for a complete summary of the meeting, and details
on the award winners.
Best wishes
from All Kids Count for peace, health, happiness and
success in the new millenium. May your
registry be full of kids, providers and
shots!
All Kids
Count is a national network of demonstration
projects working to develop and implement
community-based immunization registries for
infants and toddlers. Collectively, All Kids Count
projects
represent the country's most advanced base
of experience with immunization registries. All
Kids Count is supported by The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation with direction and
technical assistance from The Task Force for
Child Survival and Development.
We
hope you will forward this e-mail to others who
may be interested in receiving SnapShots. To
SUBSCRIBE, click
here.. This
information will remain confidential and will not
be sold or passed on to other parties.To
UNSUBSCRIBE, please go to http://www.allkidscount.org/suscribe
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COMMENTS,
PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS, please contact us at:
All Kids Count
750 Commerce Drive, Ste. 400
Decatur, GA 30030
Voice: 404-687-5615
FAX: 404-371-0415
Web: http://www.allkidscount.org
E-mail:
snapshots@allkidscount.org
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