Wellstar Recognized For Immunization Practices, Protecting Children

Photo: Walt Orenstein presented an award to WellStar Health System representatives for their efforts to create healthier families through immunizations. From left: WellStar nurses Janet Beard, RN, Kia Redwine, RN, Sam Gold, M.D., pediatric committee on safety and quality chair, Walt Orenstein, the award’s namesake, and Ivy Spencer, RN.

Staff Report

WellStar Health System cares for patients of all ages. A major piece for starting a healthy life begins with immunization. In Georgia, WellStar is the benchmark for creating healthier families through immunizations. The Georgia Department of Public Health recently awarded WellStar Health System the Walt Orenstein Champions for Immunization Award for its Standards for Child Adolescent and Adult Immunization Practices award, which honors healthcare providers who demonstrate the Standards for Child Adolescent and Adult Immunization Practices.

“WellStar is a leader in taking care of our community, including our youngest patients,” said Dr. Avril Beckford, M.D., chief pediatric officer for WellStar Health System. “The American Academy of Pediatrics’ critical immunization guidelines serve as the basis for creating healthier families. I’d like to thank Dr. Sam Gold for his action-driven leadership in this effort along with excellent nursing support from Ivy Spencer, RN and Kia Redwine, RN and the full WellStar pediatric team at WellStar.”

Recently, WellStar began screening all patients for up-to-date immunizations on every visit. The use of immunization coverage assessment tools like the Georgia Immunization Registry (GRITS) and the Center for Disease Control’s Comprehensive Clinic Assessment Software Application (CoCASA) help WellStar identify missing immunization reports. By cross-referencing these databases, WellStar proactively reaches patients who are past due to receive important vaccinations. These measures ensure our community’s adolescents are vaccinated on time and remain protected from infectious diseases that can be life-threatening.

WellStar received this award after best exemplifying two guidelines set forth in the Standards for Child, Adolescent and Adult Immunization Practices including operating a tracking system to enhance patient care and utilizing all clinical encounters to screen and immunize patients when appropriate. These standards are part of a national plan to protect America’s children against vaccine-preventable diseases while providing physicians with guidelines and resources to follow when administering immunization.