Community-provider partnerships to reduce immunization disparities: field report from northern Manhattan.
In 1996 we launched a community-provider partnership to raise immunization coverage for children aged younger than 3 years in Northern Manhattan, New York City. The partnership was aimed at fostering provider knowledge and accountability, practice improvements, and community outreach. By 1999 the partnership included 26 practices and 20 community groups. Between 1996 and 1999, immunization coverage rates increased in Northern Manhattan 5 times faster than in New York City and 8 times faster than in the United States (respectively, 3.4% vs 0.4% [t = 6.05, p < 0.001] and vs 0.6% [t = 5.65, p < 0.001]). The coverage rate for Northern Manhattan stayed constant through 2000, although it declined during this period for the United States and New York City. We attribute the success at reducing the gap to the effectiveness of our partnership.
Findley
Sally E
SE
Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10032, USA.
Irigoyen
Matilde
M
See
Donna
D
Sanchez
Martha
M
Chen
Shaofu
S
Sternfels
Pamela
P
Caesar
Arturo
A
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007223:Infant; D009519:New York City; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012941:Social Responsibility; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*