Health Care Worker Vaccination Challenge

The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) recognizes that a cornerstone to flu prevention remains the vaccination of health care workers. 

That is why the MAFP posed a challenge to all Minnesota family medicine clinics, as well as offered an opportunity for family physicians to serve as role models for fellow employees. 
 

Click here to see a list of clinics that met the challenge!

(Amy Bonifas, M.D., a family physician at Park Nicollet-Brookdale, gets her flu shot.  The shot is being administered by Kathy Schwalbe, L.P.N.)
 

The Challenge

Clinics were asked to make an aggressive effort to get all health care workers vaccinated for the upcoming influenza season. 

In particular, those clinics that were able to achieve a 100 percent vaccination rate among family physicians by November 15, 2009, will be sent a certificate by the MAFP acknowledging this accomplishment.  (Non-participation for medical reasons was excused.) This certificate can be framed and displayed in clinic lobbies so that patients can see the steps you have taken to assure their safety. 

The MAFP also plans to publicly recognize all clinics that meet this goal in our newsletter and in a patient education news release that will be sent out to Minnesota newspapers later this year.

Clinic managers were mailed information about this challenge the first week in October.  They were asked to sign a card and return it to the MAFP when 100-percent of their clinic's family physicians have received a seasonal flu vaccination.

Flyer to promote MAFP challenge in clinics (PDF)

Ideas for Implementing a Health Care Worker Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Campaign (PDF)

Memo for clinic managers to share with family physicians  (word document)
 

Links to Other Flu Resources:

Vaccinating Health Care Workers - Minnesota Department of Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Free Flu Resources