title: Impact of the raising immunizations safely and effectively (RISE) program on healthcare worker influenza immunization rates in long term care settings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  National influenza immunization rates for healthcare workers (HCW) in long-term care (LTC) remain unacceptably low. This poses a serious public health threat to residents. Prior work has suggested high staff turnover rates as a contributing factor to low immunization rates. There is a critical need to identify and deploy successful models of HCW influenza immunization programs to LTC facilities. This report describes one potential model that has been successfully initiated in a network of LTC facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  All facilities served by a single regional LTC pharmacy were invited to participate in a HCW influenza immunization program. This voluntary immunization program began in 2005 and continues to the present. As part of the program, the pharmacy promoted organizational change by assuming oversight and control of HCW immunization policies and processes for all facilities. Primary and secondary outcomes are the number of facilities reaching HCW influenza immunization rates of 60% and 80%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen of the 16 LTC facilities participated. Facilities were diverse and included both nursing and assisted living facilities; unionized and nonunionized facilities; and urban, suburban, and rural facilities. The pharmacy provided educational and communication materials, centralized data collection using a standardized definition for HCW immunization rates, and facility feedback. All 14 LTC facilities achieved the primary goal of 60% and nearly two thirds reached the secondary goal of 80%. Twenty percent reached the new Healthy People 2020 goal of 90%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is possible for LTC facilities to improve HCW immunization rates using a pharmacy based, voluntary HCW influenza immunization approach. Such an approach may help attenuate the negative influence of staff turnover on HCW immunizations. Attainment of the new Health People 2020 goals still remains a challenge and may require mandatory programs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. naceda@upmc.edu
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Nace
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Handler
authors.forename: Erika L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Subashan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perera
mesh_terms: D006282:Health Personnel; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010414:Pennsylvania