WVMI Partnering with Nursing Homes to Increase Flu Shots
Charleston, WV – The West Virginia Medical Institute (WVMI), the organization Medicare entrusts with improving the quality of health care for people in West Virginia, recommended in October that seniors receive an influenza immunization this season. The organization also advised families of nursing home residents in West Virginia to talk to the long-term care facility about influenza and pneumococcal vaccines for their loved ones.
“As a Quality Improvement Organization (QIO), we strive to help ensure that the right care is delivered to every person, every time in West Virginia. We have resources for nursing homes to help educate residents and their families about the importance of immunizations. Influenza and invasive pneumococcal disease often kill older people. Increasing immunization rates in nursing homes will help reduce the risk of these diseases,” said WVMI Epidemiologist Dr. Charles Schade.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends influenza vaccinations for people age 65 years old and over and for all persons in long-term care facilities. However, a 1999 National Nursing Home Survey showed that only 65 percent of residents had documented influenza immunization and that 38 percent of residents had documented pneumococcal immunization.
To help improve immunization rates for the elderly, Medicare-certified nursing homes nationwide are subject to a new rule from Medicare, announced on October 7, 2005, which requires them to have policies and procedures in place to help increase the rate of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. WVMI is under contract with Medicare to provide no-cost training and resources to improve the quality of care in nursing homes, as well as home health agencies, physician offices, and hospitals.
“We want to ensure that every nursing home in West Virginia is aware of these important new changes, which can help save lives. We believe that these immunization practices can make a real difference in the health of our state’s nursing home residents, and we will do everything we can to assist our partners in the long term care industry in implementing the new practices,” added Schade.
The new Medicare rule requires nursing homes to:
- Ensure that, before being offered influenza or pneumococcal immunization, each resident and/or the resident’s legal representative receives education on the benefits and potential side effects of these immunizations.
- Offer all residents the specified immunizations unless medically contraindicated or unless the resident was already immunized during the time period identified – between October 1 and March 31, annually for influenza and once in a lifetime for the pneumococcal vaccine (which can be given at any time during the year).
- Provide the resident or resident's legal representative the opportunity to refuse immunization.
- Document the resident’s medical record, including documentation that indicates each of the above-mentioned requirements has been met.
The West Virginia Medical Institute (WVMI) is a nonprofit, physician-sponsored organization dedicated to improving the health of the people we serve. WVMI operates two affiliate corporations, Quality Insights of Delaware (QID) and Quality Insights of Pennsylvania (QIP), which serve their respective states.
WVMI was founded in 1973 as the educational arm of the West Virginia State Medical Association. Since then, we've evolved into an independent, multifaceted national resource for quality improvement. Our staff of more than 300 professionals serves the quality improvement needs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Medicare, the Department of Defense, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' long-term care programs, state Medicaid Agencies and private payers.
For more information about immunization resources for seniors and their loved ones, or for nursing home facilities, contact McCombs at (304) 346-9864 ext. 2287 or visit WVMI’s Web site at www.qiwv.org.