1. Name of activity: Immunization Practices

2. Project leader and email address: Peter N. Wenger, MD; wengerpn@umdnj.edu

3. Brief statement of mission and/or vision:

The mission of these projects is to investigate best practices and devise evidence-based strategies and interventions to elevate and maintain timely, age-appropriate immunization rates chiefly in preschool age children in the Newark area (including Newark, Orange, East Orange, and Irvington). However the mission can extend to include adolescent and adult immunization issues and immunization delivery practices throughout the state of New Jersey.

4. Collaborators, staff and faculty by name and email:

Robert Smith, MD, MPH; smithr3@umdnj.edu

Anushua Sinha, MD MPH; sinhaan1@umdnj.edu

5. Specifics about activity:

Dr. Wenger is the medical director of Project Vaccinate, an immunization case-management and community action initiative directed through the Newark Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) that attempts to develop and implement evidence-based interventions to increase timely, age-appropriate immunization rates in Newark. Drs. Wenger and Smith manage an immunization (and lead screening) clinic that operates out of the UMDNJ WIC clinic located in the Stanley Bergen Building on campus. Dr. Wenger is involved in an ongoing unique recall and reminder project in Newark that utilizes state-of-the-art voice recognition technology and the New Jersey Immunization Information System (NJIIS, the NJ immunization registry) that is the result of collaboration between the NDHHS, Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NJ, and Elisa Corporation, a voice recognition technology company located in Boston MA. Dr. Wenger is on the steering committee of a state-wide project consisting of implementing new and more efficient immunization delivery pathways in pediatric practices funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and managed through the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division and the American Academy of Pediatrics of NJ.

6. Publications from project:

No publications to date, however there have been presentations on the immunization reminder/recall system utilizing voice-recognition technology at the 2004 National Immunization Registry Conference in Atlanta, GA and the 2005 National Immunization Conference in Washington DC.

7. Other related websites: http://www.immunize.org ; http://www.cdc.gov/node.do/id/0900f3ec8000e2f3

8. Opportunities for students:

Projects evaluating existing programs would be welcome as would any project evaluating questions of immunization delivery in urban settings. Projects evaluating delivery of preventive services in WIC clinics or daycare centers would be of interest.

9. Opportunities for volunteers:

Anyone interested in working on one of the existing projects should contact Dr. Wenger to discuss the feasibility of volunteering for one of these projects.

10. Hidden text and keywords:

Immunization; vaccination; vaccines; preventive medicine services; WIC clinics, preschool child health

Date revised: 3/30/05