Article by Washington State Hospital Association. Published on Tuesday, December 06, 2011 EST.
‘Tis the season for cold and flu bugs. In support of National Influenza Vaccination Week (December 4-10, 2011), Premera Blue Cross and hospitals across Washington State are doing their part to protect members and patients from the flu. Today, the Washington State Hospital Association announced its 2012 goal of achieving at least a 90 percent influenza vaccination rate for hospital workers across the state. During the last flu season, the evergreen state led the country with 86 percent of Washington hospital workers being immunized against the flu. That rate was 15 percent above the national average.
This is the result of the hospital worker immunization program whose goal is to stop the transmission of influenza in the hospital. Performance is tracked using the Washington State Hospital Association’s Quality Benchmarking System (QBS), a quality improvement tool created in partnership with Premera Blue Cross. It allows hospitals to monitor their own progress and track against others, and allows the information to be shared with the public. Hospital-specific immunization rates can be found at http://www.wahospitalquality.org.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu is a dangerous respiratory illness that causes an average of 200,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year and as many as 50,000 deaths. “Influenza is always a serious disease, but for hospital patients – premature infants, vulnerable seniors, and people with significant health issues – getting the flu can be life-threatening,” said Scott Bond, president of WSHA.
The hospital immunization program began implementation last year when the WSHA board of trustees recommended aggressive action to stop the spread of influenza in Washington’s hospitals. Hospitals across Washington State adopted policies requiring employees (including nurses and physicians) to either get immunized against the flu or take other protective actions. This was a big change from traditionally voluntary flu immunization programs, which have resulted in low health care worker immunization rates. The model policy used in Washington State was the basis for national guidelines recommended this year.
“Washington is one of the first states in the nation to adopt flu immunization policies focused on the safety of patients,” explained Bond. “The result is a dramatic increase in the number of immunized hospital workers and an equally dramatic decrease in the number of patients who will be exposed to the flu while receiving care at our hospitals. “
Brian Ancell, Executive Vice President of Health Care Services at Premera Blue Cross, and a board member of WSHA’s Patient Safety Committee, additionally announced that Premera will dedicate up to $1 million in additional support over four years to further develop patient safety programs across the state. “Premera and WSHA share the goal of improving patient safety and reducing costly hospital readmissions,” said Ancell. “We will continue to provide the support needed to move critical issues such as health care worker flu immunizations forward.”
In addition, Premera Blue Cross is supporting efforts to raise awareness about the importance of the seasonal flu vaccination and increase overall vaccination usage statewide. This flu season, Premera Blue Cross is encouraging its members to receive a flu shot by making it more convenient than ever. Premera members can either make an appointment with their primary care doctor to receive the immunization, or take advantage of Premera’s pharmacy-based immunization program. Members have the option of visiting a pharmacy in Premera’s extensive network in order to receive their flu vaccination. All members need to do is show the pharmacist their card and they will be able to help the member determine their level of coverage. Most members will experience little to no out-of-pocket costs when they get their immunizations at an in-network pharmacy. Premera’s pharmacy-based immunization program is another way Premera is providing improved access to care and is working to control costs for our members.
About Premera Blue Cross
Our mission is to provide peace of mind to our members about their healthcare coverage. We provide health plans and related services to more than 1.6 million people. Premera Blue Cross has operated in Washington since 1933, and Alaska since 1952. Premera Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Premera Blue Cross is a member of a family of companies based in Mountlake Terrace, Washington that provide health, life, vision, dental, stop-loss, disability, and other related products and services. Please visit www.premera.com for more information.
About the Washington State Hospital Association
The Washington State Hospital Association represents all 97 community hospitals. The association takes a major leadership role in issues that affect delivery, quality, accessibility, affordability, and continuity of health care. It works to improve the health status of the residents of Washington State.
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