A New Partnership to Improve the School-located Vaccination Program

Knox County Health Department believes the School-located Influenza Vaccination Clinic Program (aka FluMist) is good for our community.  However, it is a costly endeavor to buy the vaccine, medical supplies and provide professionals to administer the vaccinations. KCHD staff is continually looking for ways to hold down costs so this program can continue to protect our community.

This year, KCHD has partnered with ZippSlip to provide an online consent process for parents, and electronic medical documentation for the school vaccination clinics. Through ZippSlip, parents of the children being vaccinated can complete the consent process through a secure website without having to worry about paper forms.  The electronic process means vaccinations can be documented electronically, which saves time, paper and money.  The goal of this public-private partnership is to make enrollment and consent easier for parents, save Knox County residents money, and make KCHD’s process more efficient.   

Another public-private partnership is working to identify methods to make the School-located Influenza Vaccination Clinics a sustainable project. KCHD is currently working with University Physician Associates (UPA) trying to identify efficient methods to bill insurance for the cost of the influenza vaccination provided in the school setting.  Once the details are worked through, this looks like a promising avenue to bring money into the program and decrease dependency on dwindling grant and taxpayer funds. 

KCHD is constantly looking to increase its ability to provide services efficiently to the community while decreasing the program cost. Corporate sponsorships, grants, the ability to bill insurance companies in the school setting, and other methods are vital for sustaining the School-located Influenza Vaccination Clinic Program in the future.