THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 27, 1996 TAG: 9605270028
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 108 lines
They started with baby shots, trying to find a way to improve Norfolk's dismal immunization rate.
Three years and thousands of lollipops later, a coalition of regional agencies and private citizens is preparing to tackle another children's health problem.
Whatever issue they choose, the 100-plus members of the Consortium of Infant and Child Health, CINCH, are sure of one thing - working together is the best way to improve public-health problems.
Their solidarity, and the success it has brought, has won them funding to expand their original concept in Virginia and across the nation:
This year, the consortium contracted with the state health department to manage Project Immunize Virginia, a statewide effort similar to CINCH's local endeavors to improve immunization rates.
The consortium's efforts resulted in a $715,000 grant to teach others how to create coalitions to combat children's health problems. The money, from the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine, will pay for 300 immunization specialists from across the nation to travel to Norfolk for seminars.
A $60,000 grant from the Children's Health Foundation enabled the consortium to hire a coordinator and part-time secretary to manage its expansion efforts.
The coalition's process works, says its former coordinator, Frances D. Butterfoss, because of its diverse, grass-roots partnerships.
``There has always been a lot of competition between the public and private sector in certain areas or realms of disease, where the treatment was seen as the purview of one or the other,'' said Butterfoss, an assistant professor at the Center for Pediatric Research, a joint program between Eastern Virginia Medical School and Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.
``Our study showed that kids go everywhere. In the past it was easy to compartmentalize and say, `This child is public health, this is a military kid.' But that's not true. There's a lot of crossover, and the providers have to be responsive to that.''
CINCH was born three years ago with a $596,500 grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The mission: get more Norfolk kids immunized before their second birthday.
When the program began, only 47 percent of children under 2 were fully immunized in Norfolk; the state average was 54 percent and the national rate 70 percent.
This summer, CINCH will release new numbers for Norfolk, and project director Ardythe L. Morrow expects to see an increase. She and Butterfoss credit the sheer variety of approaches the coalition took for the anticipated improvement.
``We sat down together and put all our differences and past histories aside and figured out what we can do for the good of the children and what we can do to benefit each of our organizations,'' Butterfoss said.
Among their tactics:
Including immunization information in the elementary, junior high and high school curriculums.
Sending home 20,000 letters with Norfolk elementary school children that contained information about immunizations. They were called the ``lollipop letters'' because kids received a treat if their parents read and signed the letter. More than 12,000 were returned.
Arming community police officers with information cards about immunizations.
Working with the state to create a computerized immunization registry to provide up-to-date information on kids' shot records. The registry should be operational in 18 months.
Blanketing the community with billboards, fliers and posters about immunization.
Assessing physician immunization rates. Butterfoss said most pediatricians believe they have an 80 percent or better vaccination rate. But the assessments showed the rates were often 60 percent or lower.
Providing immunization in elementary school-based clinics.
Hundreds of volunteers assisted in CINCH efforts, among them members of the Norfolk Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, a public-service sorority.
``All of us coming together and sharing options . . . helped us reach our goal and ensure that we are getting those youngsters who need immunization,'' said sorority member Myrtle Byrd, a CINCH member.
From the beginning, coalition members clamored to increase the group's scope. This year, it has started to happen.
A work group is collecting raw data from state, local and national sources about children's health issues, said group chairwoman Sarah Bishop. They'll distribute the data to public officials and community groups, then discuss which problems to tackle, Bishop said.
It may be asthma, the leading cause of admissions to King's Daughters. Or the growing number of school-age kids diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder. Or teenage pregnancy. Or children and violence.
That process should be completed by early fall.
Efforts don't stop at the local level.
This spring, the Center for Pediatric Research, which sponsors CINCH, contracted with the state bureau of immunization for a program called Project Immunize Virginia. Officials at the center are working with public and private health officials statewide to build coalitions and assess and improve immunization rates.
``That's why having the coalition helps so much,'' said Morrow, who heads the state project for the center. ``It provides the contacts.''
In April, Butterfoss and other coalition members trained 28 immunization specialists from across the country.
One was Cassandra A. Sparrow, director of the national health program for the Congress of National Black Churches in Washington.
``You don't usually think of the words `immunization' and `church,' '' she said. But, she said, churches are excellent places to provide information about immunization.
``People tend to trust pastors and churches, and the church typically has an outreach program and is involved in the community.'' MEMO: To get the latest on where to imunize your child, call the
children's Health Line at 668-7500.
KEYWORDS: IMMUNIZATIONS CINCH CONSORTIUM OF INFANT AND CHILD
HEALTH SHOTS by CNB