The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital was among 20 winners of the Promoting Pediatric Primary Prevention (P4) Challenge, a nationwide competition to increase pediatric vaccination rates and well-child visits.
Final winners represent the diversity of the country and include mobile vaccination projects, Head Start partnerships, primary care texting strategies, and targeted support for children supported by resource families. Challenge projects generated more than 52,000 pediatric well- child visits and nearly 23,000 immunizations.
“Among the many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a decline in routine pediatric immunizations and well-child visits, which threatens to undermine the significant progress we’ve made in children’s health,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “Our HRSA Challenge initiative focused on generating creative approaches and meaningful results in helping to get children vaccinated, see their provider, and stay healthy.”
“Thank you to our team at ULPS and Le Bonheur for their great work that allows us to be a part of this,” said Dr. Jason Yaun. “I am so proud of our clinic and its ability to provide well child care and immunizations to our patients in Frayser by going to where families are to provide excellent, high quality care.”
Le Bonheur identified patients in the Frayser area who needed immunizations and well child checks (especially those needed for school entry) and provided targeted outreach and scheduling. The team then held clinics in the neighborhoods of these families with community partners and provided incentives for attendance.
Fifty teams received an initial award of $10,000 and six months to develop their proposed concept. Today, HHS is announcing the 20 teams that received a final $25,000 prize. Winners include health centers, pediatric clinics, children’s hospitals, and community organizations.
Applications were reviewed by a panel of expert judges and were evaluated based on their approach to increasing well-child visits, increasing vaccinations, and reducing disparities among populations.
