Request for Interest Forms: Community of Practice to Optimize Administration of Birth Dose Immunizations

AIM invites interested parties to participate in its Immunization Program and Birthing Institution Community of Practice (CoP) to Optimize Administration of Birth Dose Immunizations.

This learning opportunity will engage up to four paired teams of a birthing institution/hospital system and the federally funded immunization program from the same jurisdiction over a 6-month period. Teams will work together to increase newborn access to immunizations by enrolling the birthing institution/hospital system in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, allowing them to provide seasonal nirsevimab and year-round hepatitis B vaccine to all newborns, regardless of insurance status, prior to hospital discharge. These efforts will ensure newborns are protected from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and hepatitis B infection at the first available opportunity and prior to exposure to RSV in the community.

Increase access to immunizations and protect newborns at the first opportunity. The CoP will do this by:

1. Providing tailored technical assistance to overcome barriers to nirsevimab and hepatitis B administration at birth for all infants, including those who are uninsured, underinsured, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Medicaid-eligible.
2. Building partnerships between immunization programs and birthing institutions/hospital systems to support birthing institution enrollment in the VFC program.
3. Increasing the number of birthing institutions enrolled in the VFC program.

Each paired team of a birthing institution/hospital system and the federally funded immunization program in their jurisdiction will receive six months of strategic planning and technical support from April-September 2025.

The CoP teams will:

• Work to overcome barriers to birthing institution/hospital system enrollment in the VFC program, operational workflows, staff training, Electronic Health Record – Immunization Information System (EHR-IIS) integration, and more.
• Collaborate to develop and/or strengthen policies which ensure access to nirsevimab and hepatitis B vaccine, like including private insurance reimbursement, with the support of AIM facilitators.
• Participate in collaborative virtual meetings with the other CoP teams that are working toward similar goals.
• Receive technical assistance for developed goals and work plans.
• Derive lessons learned from birthing institutions/hospital systems and immunization programs that have overcome similar challenges to those being addressed by the CoP.

Birthing institutions/hospital systems that:

• Are not enrolled in the VFC program
• Have hospital leadership support to invest in VFC program enrollment and nirsevimab administration
• Serve publicly and privately insured patients
• Can commit to six virtual monthly meetings
• Have engaged their jurisdiction’s immunization program to commit to participation in this CoP

Immunization programs that:

• Have birthing institutions in their jurisdiction who meet the above criteria
• Have leadership support to examine jurisdiction-specific policies related to VFC enrollment of birthing institutions
• Can commit to six virtual monthly meetings
• Have engaged at least one birthing hospital/hospital system to commit to participation in this CoP

CoP participants should identify a core team of at least four (two from the immunization program (IP) and two from the birthing hospital) and up to 12 individuals to participate. Teams must include either the jurisdiction’s immunization program manager or VFC manager, one additional IP staff, AND a pharmacy and a nursing leader with decision-making authority from the birthing institution. Team members should be individuals who can directly support the goal of enrolling in the VFC program and administering nirsevimab and hepatitis B vaccine during the birth stay prior to hospital discharge.

Each birthing institution team will be expected to:

• Maintain a core team of at least two Members should be individuals responsible for decision making who can implement the goals of participation in the VFC program and administration of nirsevimab and hepatitis B vaccine. Birthing institutions are welcome to have additional team members, such as:
  • Physician champions, hospital leadership, financial managers responsible for payer contract negotiations, hospital IT, or others who can directly support the team goals of participation in the VFC program and administration of nirsevimab and hepatitis B vaccine
• Identify goals and develop a project plan and actionable steps to achieve these goals.
• Participate in monthly team technical assistance calls with the immunization program in their jurisdiction and AIM staff to identify progress and barriers as well as identify any emerging technical assistance needs.
• Revise project plans as necessary to accomplish the goal of enrolling in VFC during the 6-month technical assistance period and preparing to administer nirsevimab and hepatitis B vaccine during the 2025-2026 RSV season.
• Participate in group activities as planned, including two multi-team calls.

Each immunization program team will be expected to:

• Maintain a core team of at least two. Teams must include either the jurisdiction’s immunization program manager or VFC manager AND one additional IP staff. Members should be individuals responsible for decision making who oversee policies related to birthing institution participation in the VFC program. Jurisdictions are welcome to have additional team members, such as:
  • Immunization information system (IIS) staff, others with a technical understanding of HL7 standards, representatives from the perinatal quality improvement collaborative, or others who can directly support the team’s goals of enrolling the birthing institutions in the VFC program and supporting their administration of nirsevimab and hepatitis B vaccine
• Develop a project plan and work toward accomplishing goals and actionable steps to achieve these goals.
• Participate in monthly team technical assistance calls with AIM staff and a birthing institution in their jurisdiction to identify progress and barriers as well as identify any emerging technical assistance needs.
• Revise project plans as necessary to accomplish the goal of enrolling the chosen birthing institution in VFC during the 6-month technical assistance period and helping them to administer nirsevimab and hepatitis B vaccine during the 2025-2026 RSV season.
• Participate in group activities as planned, including two multi-team calls.