Team Led by Clinical Assistant Professor Recognized Nationally for Efforts to Improve Childhood Immunization Rates

ALBANY, N.Y. (August 26, 2021) - A team led by Dr. Danielle Wales, assistant professor of Pediatrics at Albany Med and clinical assistant professor at the UAlbany School of Public Health has been selected as a Phase 1 winner in the Promoting Pediatric Primary Prevention (P4) Challenge by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources & Services Administration for its efforts to improve local childhood immunization rates in primary care settings.

Wales led a multidisciplinary team representing three Albany Med pediatric practices – General Pediatrics in Albany, Community Pediatrics in Guilderland and Internal Medicine and Pediatrics in Latham – to examine declining immunization rates during the Covid-19 pandemic and propose ways to improve patient access and encourage well-child visits. Collaborators on the project include Drs. Rebecca Butterfield and Adam Gicewicz from Albany Med and the School of Public Health's Maternal and Child Health Program, Co-Directed by Christine Bozlak and Dr. Rachel de Long.

“We want to give the best care to our patients. This prize will help us develop innovative ways to promote immunizations and deliver the best care to our patients and the community,” said Wales, whose team will specifically target immunization rates among toddlers and adolescents.

The initiative not only helps to ensure children are caught up on immunizations – it also enables clinicians to administer screenings for social determinants of health, depression, and child abuse.

To keep families apprised of upcoming well-child visits, the group will soon trial a text message reminder system.

Among the other innovative ideas proposed include utilizing case management services, with nurses working more closely with complicated or at-risk patients to promote immunizations. Finally, the group is considering other incentives such as youth t-shirts and children’s books related to vaccines.

In addition to receiving a $10,000 cash prize, Albany Med will move forward to Phase 2 of the Challenge and the opportunity to win an additional $25,000 cash prize, to be announced later this year.