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 Carolinians throughout the lifespan who are age-appropriately vaccinated.

Customer Service Unit

Primary purposes of this unit:

• Manage the NCIP and the federal Vaccine for Children (VFC) program
• Handle 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 requirements of the program
• Provide support to providers using the North Carolina Immunization Registry
• Monitor vaccine accountability
• Manage the Yellow Fever Vaccine Program

Monitoring vaccine accountability ensures that providers are being 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. 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.

Data Collection & Analysis

Primary functions of this unit:

• Manage the vaccine budget
• Determine funding allocations based on population estimates
• Conduct immunization assessments
• 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 completion of various federal and state reports
• Be involved with any data collection or analysis undertaken within the Immunization Branch

This unit is responsible for managing the vaccine purchasing budget and ensure adequate funding for all needed vaccines.  Immunization assessments are performed 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.

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 NCIP 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 the NCIP. These visits ensure 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.

Operations

Primary functions of this unit:

• Work with the Branch budget including: vaccine purchasing, required travel, office equipment, and general office supplies
• Disseminate memos/materials to NCIP providers, child cares, and schools
• Provide data entry support for lab reports, annual immunization reports
• Serve as first point of contact for physician’s offices, child cares, schools, and inquiries from the general public
• Handle contract logistics and oversight

The Operations Unit handles behind the scenes support functions that make the Immunization Branch run smoothly.

Registry

Primary functions of this unit:

• Give patients, parents, health care providers, schools and child care facilities timely access to complete, accurate and relevant immunization data
• Assist in the evaluation of a child's immunization status and identify children who need (or are past due for) immunizations
• Assist communities in assessing their immunization coverage and identifying areas of under-immunization
• Fulfill federal and state immunization reporting needs

The mission of this unit is to improve and maintain a quality immunization information system by offering resources that enhance and assist healthcare providers with documentation of vaccine information for all North Carolinians. 
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.