Jennifer Richards, Clinic Manager
South Sound Pediatrics, Olympia
Participating in the WA-CHIP Adolescent and Childhood Immunizations learning collaborative and QI Coach meetings has changed the way our clinic approaches vaccines. Before the collaborative we knew we were missing opportunities to catch patients up on vaccines, however, we had no idea we were missing so many! Working with other clinics gives us the opportunity to see how others are navigating challenges and strategize how to improve processes. After our first meeting we knew we had our work cut out for us.
We needed to engage our staff if we wanted to be successful. We needed a high energy, measurable, and fun way to roll out a new process. Vaccine Roundup was created to meet these needs. It is a fun, friendly competition with a rodeo theme to help staff see improvement and bring accountability. Of course, there is a fabulous prize for the winning team.
How to play is simple. Each morning we run a report through our practice EMR that shows each provider team which scheduled patient is due or overdue for vaccines. Then it is up to the team to capture these opportunities for the day. Every week the provider team captured opportunity averages are calculated and reflected on our “horse race” board. From day one our staff was engaged and ready to race for the top spot.
Within the first month our missed opportunities reduced from over 40% down to only 6%! And best of all, the provider team that had the most hesitation on their ability to catch up patients is now in the lead! Everyone wants to win the competition but more importantly everyone has seen how rewarding it can be to work as a team to keep our patients healthy.
To learn more about WCAAP’s work to improve vaccination rates through our WA-CHIP learning collaboratives, contact program manager Ariana Salaiz.