From all of us at the Maine Immunization Program, we would like to wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year!
As we move into the New Year, we want to remind you of Provider Agreement and Education changes. Please see the attached memo below for complete information:
2019 Provider Agreement and Education Changes
For specific instructions on the ImmPact User Agreement, please see the memo below:
2019 ImmPact User Agreement Notification
In addition, we will continue to offer quarterly webinars featuring immunization topics. Stay tuned for email notification with dates and times.
 It's Not Too Late to Vaccinate with the Flu Shot
We are well into the cold, wintery months and it is not too late to recommend the flu shot to all patients 6 months and older to ensure that they are protected against influenza. Generally, flu activity peaks between December and February, though it may last through spring. So, take every opportunity to make a flu vaccination recommendation at every visit. It makes a difference! Please see the link below for flu materials to post in your practice. All materials are free for download.
CDC Flu Print Materials
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The Maine Immunization Program wants to know what your practice has done/is doing to promote immunizations! This is a great opportunity for practices in Maine to learn from each other and to strengthen their programs!
What we want:
- Success stories
- Strategies
- Picture(s) of your staff
We will be highlighting them in our monthly newsletter throughout 2019. We can't wait to hear from you!
Please send all related materials to Caitlin Anton at caitlin.anton@maine.gov.
 Preventable Wastage Reminder
As a reminder to providers, your preventable wastage allowance will reset as of January 1, 2019. You will be receiving an email report indicating your new preventable wastage amount for the new year. For questions relating to wastage, please contact Valerie MacKenzie at valerie.mackenzie@maine.gov or call at 207-287-3862.
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Nearly 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, but the disease is virtually always preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening (Pap and HPV tests).
We would like to take this opportunity to highlight new HPV materials created by the American Cancer Society and list credible resources for HPV education. We encourage you to use this information in your practice to increase awareness on cervical cancer and prevention.
Materials:
Don't Wait to Vaccinate
Take a Shot at Cancer!
Protecting Our Children from HPV Cancers
HPV Vaccination: Just the Facts
Resources:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Cancer Society
HPV Roundtable
U.S. CDC HPV Vaccination Award Champion
 The HPV Vaccine is Cancer Prevention Champion Award is an annual award given jointly by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), American Cancer Society (ACS), and Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI). This award recognizes clinicians, clinics, practices, groups, and health systems that are going above and beyond to foster HPV vaccination in their communities.
One Champion from each of the 50 U.S. states, 8 U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States, and the District of Columbia is recognized.
We would like to congratulate Western Maine Pediatrics in Norway, Maine, for being nominated as Maine's HPV Champion. Staff at Western Maine Pediatrics are constantly seeking opportunities to continue improving through quality improvement strategies. One way that they achieve some of the highest rates across the MaineHealth system is by using a team-based approach that values each role. On the care team, all roles feel empowered to contribute to the team’s success. The front desk staff make reminder calls to patients and schedule appointments. The vaccine coordinator runs patient lists from ImmPact, makes follow-up calls, and supports pre-visit planning. On a weekly basis, medical assistants run immunization catch-up clinics and routinely review patient records for vaccines needed before well child and acute visits. Nursing staff provide vaccine-only visits and also participate in pre-visit planning to review patient records for vaccines needed before visits. When there are hard to reach families who may have missed appointments, care coordinators follow up and schedule appointments. Lastly, the provider makes a strong recommendation for routine vaccination and builds rapport with the family. Through their combined effort, they have reached a 66.8% (by 13th birthday) completion rate for the HPV series and 79% completion rate for 13-15 year-olds.
Congratulations on a job well done!
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