Catholic Health East : Best Practices
Catholic Health East
Best Practice Narrative

RHC: St. Joseph's-Baptist Health Care

 Category:
Developing Healthier Communitie

Contact: Debbie Pergolizzi
Telephone: (813) 870-4152<
Description of the Best Practice
The focus of the Be Wise…Immunize Program is to assist the local Health Department increase the low immunization rate in Hillsborough County. It is conducted primarily in the government subsidized housing areas within the City of Tampa. Beginning in 1999 however, the program is being expanded to other sites and areas of Hillsborough County. The program allows for underserved families and children ages 0-18 to have convenient and free immunizations. Two mobile units are used.

Implementation
St. Joseph’s Hospital partners with the Hillsborough County Health Department, Kiwanis Club of Tampa, Tampa Housing Authority, University Community Hospital and the Immunization Task Force of Hillsborough County in providing this service. The Health Department provides the vaccines, St. Joseph’s and University Community Hospitals provide the mobile units and staff, Kiwanis Club of Tampa provides volunteers and funding for t-shirts and goodie bags for children receiving immunizations, and the Housing authority provides the sites. New this year is working with local McDonald’s restaurants. The mobile units go to the McDonald’s parking lot and McDonald’s is providing hamburger coupons for the children who receive immunizations.

The program is implemented once a month year round. During the summer months, Be Wise Immunize is combined with Back-to-School events program. Back-to-School involves free school physicals, blood pressure, vision screening, height and weight, urine test and WIC screening for iron levels. Other screenings such as development are included whenever funding and time permits. Marketing announcements, flyers, are distributed to neighborhood locations 2-3 weeks prior to the event date to inform the community of the time and place of the program for that month. In addition, door-to-door canvassing to inform the neighborhood of the coming event has been used to provide the opportunity for face-to-face interaction with the community.

Time Frame
This program began in July, 1992 and has been in continuous existence ever since. The program has expanded considerably since its inception.

Financial Profile
Financial Profile: In 1998, it is estimated that calculating actual staff time out at the event, for St. Joseph’s Hospital only, costs:

  • Nurse: $1,081
  • Screening Assistant: $1,542
  • Coordinator: $7,229 (includes planning time)
  • Bus: $2,400
  • Marketing: $2,000
  • Total: $14,252

Keep in mind though, that there are partners in this program and the costs would be greater if a hospital were to undertake this program by itself. Examples of other costs include: vaccines, goodie bag incentives, etc.

Outcome
Since its inception the program has provided 7,026 immunizations to 2,869 children. It has also provided 1,482 free school physicals to children. It also registers people to the Women Infant and Children (WIC) Program. The mobile units are now able to expand to eastern Hillsborough County.