Peoria, Illinois,
15
February
2022
|
15:48 PM
America/Chicago

OSF Innovation childhood vaccination effort recognized among best in the nation

A project led by the OSF Design Lab that leverages data and artificial intelligence to improve childhood vaccination rates has received national recognition as well as $25,000 in funding. 

The US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), recently announced 20 winners of the Promoting Pediatric Primary Prevention (P4) Challenge, a nationwide competition to increase pediatric vaccination rates and well-child visits.

Design Lab Director Scott Barrows says teams at OSF Jump Simulation and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) are using machine learning algorithms to build artificial intelligence (AI) models to accurately identify geographic locations with the biggest need for childhood vaccinations and mobile clinics. The University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria (UICOMP) is supporting community outreach while Illinois State University’s School of Information Technology is building a vaccine management system that will help expand vaccination efforts for children in underserved communities.

“To be selected as one of the top 25 pediatric vaccination innovations in the U.S. is a testament to the commitment and collaboration of our Mission Partners working to improve community health,” said Barrows. 

Scott Barrows, Director OSF Innovation Design Lab

It’s also rewarding to know the HRSA award means our approach is being shared as best practices by national government-supported centers.

Scott Barrows, Director OSF Innovation Design Lab

OSF Innovation has also developed digital tools to systematically collect information during mobile clinics to help address social determinants of health – barriers outside of a medical office that affect access to care and vaccinations including food, transportation, and income among others.

Barrows says the additional funding will help provide refrigerators for vans supporting mobile clinics, helping boost the number of vaccinations that can be given. Additionally, the new federal funding can supplement support for a vaccine coordinator position based at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois

Boilerplate

OSF HealthCare is an integrated health system owned and operated by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. OSF HealthCare employs nearly 24,000 Mission Partners in 150 locations, including 15 hospitals – 10 acute care, five critical access – with 2,089 licensed beds, and two colleges of nursing throughout Illinois and Michigan. The OSF HealthCare physician network employs more than 1,500 primary care, specialist and advanced practice providers. OSF HealthCare, through OSF Home Care Services, operates an extensive network of home health and hospice services. It also owns Pointcore, Inc., comprised of health care-related businesses; OSF HealthCare Foundation, the philanthropic arm for the organization; and OSF Ventures, which provides investment capital for promising health care innovation startups. More at osfhealthcare.org.

OSF Innovation, launched in 2016, is the umbrella initiative for the planning, structure, goals and services OSF HealthCare uses to innovate for the improvement and transformation of health care. 
More information at osfinnovation.org.

Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center, a part of OSF Innovation, is a collaboration between University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and OSF HealthCare. Jump replicates a variety of patient care settings to ensure novice and seasoned clinicians can practice handling medical situations in a real-world environment. Boasting six floors and 168,000 square feet, the center is one of the largest of its kind and provides space for conferences, anatomic training, virtual reality and innovation. For more information, visit www.jumpsimulation.org.