Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota to Receive National Award for Employee Vaccinati...( MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL Minn. March ...),Health

MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, Minn., March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is receiving national recognition for its innovative employee influenza prevention program. On March 30, Children's will receive the Immunization Excellence Award at the National Influenza Vaccine Summit, co-sponsored by the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children's is the only hospital in the United States to receive a national Immunization Excellence Award in the Healthcare Personnel Campaign category this year. The National Influenza Vaccine Summit represents more than 100 public and private organizations with an interest in addressing and resolving influenza and influenza vaccine issues.

"These awards recognize champions within the immunization community who are making a difference within their communities," said Mitch Rothholz, National Influenza Vaccine Summit Executive Committee Member and Awards Committee Chair. "Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota's program integrated many elements and stakeholders to achieve a growth in the number of healthcare worker vaccinations and will serve as a best practice model for others."

Children's efforts to promote employee immunization are part of an overall effort to be a leader in creating a healthy hospital environment for children and families. The vaccination program not only keeps employees healthy, it also helps prevent the spread of influenza within the hospital.

"Healthcare professionals can transmit influenza to vulnerable children up to two days before showing any signs that they are ill," said Patricia Stinchfield, CPN, director of pediatric infectious disease at Children's. "Influenza can be fatal to some patients, such as infants who are too young to be immunized, or patients with suppressed immune systems. That's why Children's works so hard to limit exposure of influenza t
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