The Great Plains Quality Innovation Network (GPQIN) is pleased to announce we will be working to improve immunization rates in our region and reduce immunization disparities among older adults. We were recently awarded special funding, via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to carry out this important work.
We will work directly with healthcare practitioners, providers and beneficiaries in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders to implement evidence-based practices and systems changes that improve the routine assessment of vaccination status; improve immunization rates – especially among minority and underserved populations; and increase the documentation of immunization status.
We will offer education on immunization best practices and share successes and lessons learned, via the Great Plains Learning and Action Network. We will also help physician practices capture data about immunizations that their patients receive in the community, record it in their Electronic Health Record systems (EHRs) and report it to our states’ immunization registries.
Our goals are bold. We will align with the Healthy People 2020 goals by achieving national absolute immunization rates of 70 percent for influenza, 90 percent for pneumonia and 30 percent for zoster (shingles), as well as to reduce disparities among racial and ethnic minorities, rural Medicare consumers and dual-eligible Medicaid and Medicare consumers.
Additionally, CMS aims to provide one million previously unimmunized beneficiaries with pneumonia immunizations and to achieve an absolute rate of 90 percent for adult immunization status assessment, appropriate immunization or referral and documentation of immunization status.
“The Great Plains Quality Innovation Network members each have several years of experience in improving pneumonia and influenza vaccination rates,” said Keri McDermott, Great Plains QIN Communications Director. “We look forward to collaborating with physician offices and home health agencies to adopt and promote proven best practice approaches. We will also focus on strengthening collaborations between the state immunization registries and the healthcare practices to facilitate the exchange of vaccine-related information. Working to increase immunization rates directly aligns with our mission to make healthcare in our region the nation’s best and builds on existing efforts to improve population health, make care safer and lower healthcare costs.”
For more information and to join the Great Plains Learning and Action Network, visit: