Jefferson Health provides healthcare facilities in the greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey regions. It has recently been recognized as the 2022 HIMSS Davies Award Winner for its extraordinary approach to mobile vaccination procedures. Dr. Patricia C. Henwood, executive vice president at Jefferson Health, shares the healthcare challenges they faced. She mentions that mobile vaccination units played a crucial role in curbing the adverse effects of the pandemic. In his article for Healthcare IT News, Bill Siwicki shares the success story of Jefferson Health’s mobile vaccination operations.
How Jefferson Health Accomplished Its Mobile Vaccination Plan
The Main Problem
Many communities faced healthcare disparities in vulnerable communities that resulted in higher death rates. Black, Latina, Asian, and American Indians were vaccinated at considerably lower rates, increasing the equity gap.
How It Began
Jefferson Health contributed significantly to resolving the clinical changes faced during the pandemic. It also helped close equity gaps during the vaccination drive and prevented infection risks. Nassar Nizami, chief information and digital officer at Jefferson Health, stated that the hospital already had an operational data infrastructure. It helped them monitor every mobile vaccination unit and use the information to help vulnerable communities.
Challenges Mobile Vaccination Units Faced
Making vaccination units available for disproportionately affected communities was one of the main challenges. Nizami mentions, “These kiosks and tablets supported registrars by being available for e-check-in when all registrars were busy, to keep flow through the clinic with the goal of only needing patients waiting during the standard observation period after their vaccination.”
How Mobile Vaccination Helped Communities
Jefferson Health focused on increasing the frequency of vaccination in socially vulnerable communities. From May 2021 to December 2021, Jefferson Health vaccinated 82.7% of people of color compared to 35.8% at conventional clinics.
How to Implement Data Analytics
Nizami shares that accomplishing such an expansive program would not have been possible without a team approach. It is important to also ensure data leverage and structure it for an efficient analysis process. Moreover, companies must be responsive to changes and prepared for unexpected challenges.
Other Accomplishments of Jefferson Health
OnPoint Quality and Safety Huddle Dashboard helped oversee the quality of projects and informed the staff of safety protocols. It also enabled team members to analyze their growth and project goals.
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