title: Vaccination and the health care worker.
abstract: Historically, health care worker vaccination has been a strategy to protect the health care worker from infectious work related risk. This article will discuss the transition to health care worker vaccination as a key patient safety initiative for hospitals and health care systems. As the case is evolving toward mandatory influenza vaccination of health care workers, we have outlined key success factors for a voluntary program in a rural frontier referral hospital. Additionally, pertussis vaccination for health care workers is discussed as to the patient safety aspects of a progressive approach further making the case for value creation on behalf of our patients we have the privilege of providing care.
authors: Regional Health Physicians, Rapid City, SD, USA.
authors: James M
authors: JM
authors: Keegan
authors: R Vivian
authors: RV
authors: Derby
authors: Tamara
authors: T
authors: Rhames
authors: Beth
authors: B
authors: Boersma
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient / Q000517:prevention & control*; D037141:Mandatory Programs; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*