 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Patty Porter, RN, MPH, CHES, Integrating Medicine and Public Health (IMAP) Program, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 340, San Francisco, CA 94118, 415 502-6493, pporter@itsa.ucsf.edu, Nisha Gandhi, MPH, Immunization Branch, California Department of Health Services, 2151 Berkeley Way, Rm. 712, Berkeley, CA 94704, and Ronald W. Chapman, MD, MPH, Medicine and Public Health Section, California Department of Health Services, P.O. Box 942732, Mailstop 253, Sacramento, CA 94234-7320.
In response to a devastating flu season in 1999, a flu vaccine shortage in 2000 and 2001 and continued reports of low immunization rates among high-risk and underserved adults, adult immunization stakeholders across California are developing a collaborative and solution-oriented approach to address this health issue. The presenter will describe the systematic approach to the development of a statewide coalition with diverse and representative membership whose mission is to support cross-sector (medicine, public health, community) collaboration that results in improved adult immunization rates, particularly among high risk adults and those who have limited access to preventive care in California. This statewide coalition features collaborative, integrated, evidence-based, data driven, and short and long-term strategies to improve adult immunization rates. It will address statewide policies and issues, gather data, develop, evaluate, and disseminate best practices, and support the development and enhancement of local and regional adult immunization efforts across California. Work groups have been formed to develop specific activities related to payment and policy, quality improvement, vaccine distribution and communications. To date, the Coalition leadership has coordinated two influenza immunization summits. Members coordinated and submitted three adult immunization questions for the 2003 California Health Interview Survey; all were accepted for inclusion. Coalition members submitted joint funding proposals to support the coalition's infrastructure and high priority interventions and activities, and implemented a statewide survey of current activities and perceived gaps and opportunities related to improving adult immunization rates.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Adult Health, Partnerships
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.