Vaccine
Service Delivery & Technical Assistance Unit
Primary purposes of this unit:
- Manage the state's UCVDP program and the
federal Vaccine For Children (VFC) program.
- Handle purchasing, processing, distributing
and accounting for over 3 million doses of vaccine annually.
- Provide technical assistance to over 1,300
public and private health care providers on the safety, storage,
and handling of vaccines.
- Monitor vaccine accountability, a major
state and federal component of this unit.
- Manage the Yellow Fever Vaccine Program
Through the UCVDP program, vaccines are purchased,
stored and distributed to health care providers at no charge.
Well over 95 percent of health care providers who administer vaccines
to children participate in this program. Health care providers
may not charge the patient for the cost of the vaccine; however,
they may charge vaccine administration fees at no more than the
rates established by the State's Medicaid Program. Local health
departments cannot charge patients an administration fee for state-supplied
immunizations.
Monitoring vaccine accountability ensures
that providers are being accountable/responsible for the vaccines
they administer to their patients including proper dosage, storage
and handling of the vaccine, and correct route and site of vaccine
administration. Site visits are conducted to over 25 percent of
the health care providers each year. Accurate reporting by our
health care providers helps to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines
and/or the funds to purchase the vaccines. Health care providers
are allotted enough vaccine to maintain a two to three month inventory
based upon their historical usage, inventory on hand, and national
supply of the vaccine. Health care providers who negligently waste
vaccine are subject to the Financial Restitution Program and must
pay for the cost of the wasted vaccine. Practices interested in
joining the UCVDP program should call 1-877-873-6247.
Data Collection & Analysis
Primary functions of this unit:
- Conduct immunization assessments.
- Administer the North Carolina Immunization
Registry (NCIR).
- Field requests from the general public
for immunization rate information.
- Support Immunization Branch staff on program/project
evaluation, including immunization survey design and methodology,
and in completion of various federal and state reports.
- Be involved with any data collection or
analysis undertaken within the Immunization Branch.
Immunization assessments are performed in
order to monitor childhood immunization rates statewide. The unit
encourages and supports activities to measure and improve childhood
immunization coverage, working both with providers and other state
agencies including the Medicaid Program. Immunization assessments
are conducted with both public and private providers, and are
accompanied by technical assistance to improve the provider's
delivery of immunization services. The Assessment, Feedback, Incentives
and eXchange (AFIX) program offers personalized quality improvement
service to private providers.
The North Carolina Immunization Registry (NCIR) is a secure,
web-based clinical tool which will become the official source
for North Carolina immunization information. The NCIR will take
the place of handwritten charting of immunizations administered
in the state. Immunization providers may access all recorded childhood
immunizations administered in North Carolina, regardless of where
the immunizations were given.
Field
Services
Primary functions of this unit:
- Monitor the frequency of vaccine-preventable
diseases through ongoing surveillance and investigation of disease
outbreaks.
- Work with local health departments, hospitals,
private provider offices, child care facilities, schools and
colleges/universities to ensure all individuals from birth through
18 years of age have received age-appropriate immunizations.
- Consult with the above facilities regarding
immunization laws and compliance requirements.
- Focus on community outreach programs to
educate parents, health care providers and senior adults about
the importance of timely immunizations.
Regional Immunization Consultants (RICs) and
Regional Immunization Nurses (RINs) conduct site visits to all
UCVDP providers. RICs and RINs provide consultation, technical
support and education regarding immunization issues to the entire
community of vaccine providers in their regions. This includes
local health departments, private providers, community/migrant
rural health centers, child care centers, hospitals and student
health services at schools, colleges and universities. The consultants
conduct formal annual site visits to at least 25 percent (about
280) of the public and private providers currently enrolled in
North Carolina's UCVDP program. These visits ensure that state-supplied
vaccine is being stored, handled and accounted for properly. These
visits also allow providers the opportunity to receive on-site
technical assistance on complex immunization issues. Consultants
work with local health departments to develop plans to improve
immunization rates in their counties. They also provide advice
and assistance when cases of vaccine-preventable disease occur,
such as pertussis.
Communication,
Outreach & Professional Development
Primary functions of this unit:
- Develop educational materials based on CDC recommendations,
program focus and new initiatives
- Proactively work with media to develop strategies to expedite
dissemination of critical information.
- Design and layout graphically aesthetic website
- Provide outreach services beyond conventional limits, as to
particular segments of a community
- Enhance knowledge and skills of health care workers administering
vaccine and supporting vaccine delivery through traditional
and non-traditional educational strategies.
The mission of this unit is to plan and implement
strategies which encourage and result in behavior change that
ultimately increase the number of North Carolinian's throughout
the lifespan who are age-appropriately vaccinated.
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