Strategy
Educate hospital systems and other awardees on Virginia’s VFC Replacement Model and to create tools to simplify enrollment in Virginia’s VFC Replacement Model.
Challenge
The VFC requirement for eligibility screening in the hospital setting was a barrier to hospital enrollment in the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) VFC program. Eligibility screening is required for the provider to determine which vaccine stock to use, public vs private. Provider enrollment under Virginia’s VFC Replacement Model allows the provider to have only one vaccine stock and eliminates the need to screen the client before a vaccine is administered.
Solution
The practice goals and objectives included identifying birthing hospitals in Virginia and partnering with the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to increase interest in Virginia’s VFC Replacement Model. This initiative also offered technical assistance to hospitals interested in seeking approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to enroll under the VFC Replacement Model and provided education and training to other awardees interested in the VFC Replacement Model.
Virginia was inspired to conduct hospital outreach on the VFC Replacement Model after the launch of nirsevimab during the 2023/24 respiratory season.
Staff time required for this initiative included:
- February Reverse Site Visit Presentation – 16 hours
- DMAS Road Show – 1 week
- Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA) educational call – 8 hours
- Enrollment activities – 8 hours/week (estimated 380 hours)
For this initiative, there were no costs beyond existing grant funding that supports the operational costs of the VFC program in Virginia.
Each hospital or health system needs CDC approval of their VFC Replacement Model proposal. Virginia’s VFC team works closely with the CDC to provide technical assistance to hospitals and health systems interested in the VFC Replacement Model. Virginia’s VFC team has also worked closely with DMAS to facilitate communications with birthing hospitals through their “Road Show.” The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA) provided time during their routine call schedule for a presentation on the VFC Replacement Model from VDH.
The timeframe of implementation for this initiative began in October 2023 and continues presently.
Outcome
Since the Virginia VFC program initiated this effort, it has nearly doubled its birthing hospitals enrolled in the VFC program from 6 to 11 (of 47 total) in a year. The Virginia VFC team has a 100% success rate in getting CDC approval on its hospitals’ VFC Replacement Model proposals.
Communication was key to raising awareness with birthing hospitals on the VFC Replacement Model. Many hospitals and health systems did not realize the option was available to them, so VDH needed to employ several different communication methods and different messengers. VDH developed a one-pager to highlight the VFC Replacement Model that could be distributed by these messengers and made their team available to have those conversations with hospital-specific questions. Additionally, these conversations enabled VDH to identify barriers that they could elevate with other healthcare partners, like third-party payers. This collaboration strengthened the partnership between VDH and DMAS and VHHA and empowered Virginia to share their success with AIM and other awardees interested in addressing the nirsevimab barriers. The intent was to use the VFC Replacement Model to increase awareness of the VFC program for these unique facilities and increase access to immunizations for some of the most vulnerable populations.
Supplemental Materials