Thank You for Joining Us!

About The Community Meeting:

Immunize Nevada holds a general community meeting on the first Thursday of every month from 8:30 - 10am. Attendees are welcome to arrive at 8am for networking and refreshments. Each meeting features updates from the Nevada State Immunization Program, Partner News, Networking and an Educational Presentation. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with local partners, exchange ideas and learn about vaccine & health related topics.

Next Meeting: Thursday, October 5, 2017 - 8 a.m. 

Meeting Locations:

• Las Vegas: United Way of Southern Nevada, 5830 W. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89103 (Flamingo & Jones)
• Reno: Innevation Center at 450 Sinclair St, Reno, NV 89501 (Liberty and Sinclair St)

September Meeting Recap 

Presentations:

• How to talk with vaccine resistant Clients: In preparation for the upcoming flu season, our speakers presented on best practices to engage with vaccine resistant clients. If you have any questions on their presentation, you can contact them at:
  •  Las Vegas:
    • JoAnn Rupiper, RN,
    • Jinsy Jacob, MD,
    • Rutu Ezhuthachan,  MD,
  •  Reno (Presentation)
    • Vanessa Slots, MD,
    • Trudy Larson, MD,
• Flu Update
  • The Immunize Nevada Team provided an overview of this season’s Flu campaign and strategy
• September Meeting Report
• September Meeting Agenda

September Partner Updates and Announcements

•  CHA is starting flu clinics the second week of October because their pharmacy will be closed due to a remodel
•  Renown, CHA, HOPES, Foodbank and other partners launched a food prescription program on September 1st
•  Step Up for kids will be on September 25 from 3:00 PM- 7:00 PM at the Springs Preserve. For more information, please contact Mirzah at (702) 895-1040 or
• The CDC is releasing a study next week regarding the flu vaccine and uptake among pregnant women
• Southern Nevada Health District will start to administer the flu vaccine starting on September 12. 

September Adult Immunization Taskforce

• Anyone who ordered 317 flu already has it
• VFC Flu opened up a few weeks ago
• Mental health doing their event on Oct. 20-21
• IZNV Smart targeting is geo fenced and will pop up on the location they are at – working for adult population and adult chronic conditions.
• Pharmacies are starting to send out emails about Flu shots/reminders – Raley’s gives store points when getting your flu vaccine.
• Australia has a bad flu season and it can predict our incoming season.
• A majority of the people who get vaccinated get the flu vaccine before December. October 10 had a vaccination peak for last year.
• Pharmacies will order Flu vaccine, but only to last through Thanksgiving/until they run out.
• Message that it is better to be immunized than not. Include resources in the toolkit
•  Tip cards will be done by next meeting and we will move forward with them.

August Meeting Recap

Agenda

• Speakers
  • •Overview of Medicaid and Nevada Exchange:
    •  Las Vegas:
      • Janise Wiggins, Governor's Consumer Health Advocate, Department of Health & Human Services
      • Rosa Alejandre, Exchange's Navigator Program Manager,
    • Reno:
      • Janel Davis, Silver State Health Insurance Exchange
      • Tammy Ritter, Nevada Division of Health and Human Services
    • MPH Intern Presentation (Reno): Systems to Support Tdap Administration in Nevada
      • Lily R. Helzer, MPH Intern
      • Alessandra M. Garcia, MPH Intern
      • Presentation
• August Meeting Report
• August Agenda

Announcements & Updates

• Step Up for Kids is taking place in Las Vegas on 9/25 and in Reno on 10/1.
• The Healthy Living Institute at UMC has grants to provide carseats for people in need. Limited supply availalbe. Call 702-383-7353.
• The Care Coalition is hosting the pill take back event on August 19th 8am - 12pm at Palo Verde High School, 333 S Pavilion Center Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89144. Visit Carecoalition.com for more info.
• Community Partners for Better Health is hosting the Nevada 2017 Mental & Behavorial Health Symposium on September 29th at the Gold Coast. 
• The Nevada Minority Health & Equity Coalition is seeking members. Please contact Janice Wiggins at if you would like to join. 
• Health Plan of Nevada's Medicine on the Move van will be out in the community at many locations throughout August. Visit medicineonthemovenv.com for info on location and services offered. 
• Clinical volunteers are still needed for the upcoming Northern Nevada RAM event happening September 28- October 1 at the Boys and Girls Club. The biggest volunteer needs are for vision and dental services If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Lamboley at .
• CDC has placed a special focus on reaching health care professionals during NIAM. We are hosting a webinar titled “Peer to Peer: Proven Practices for Increasing Vaccination Rates in Adults and Pregnant Women.” During this webinar, nurse practitioner Maria Lanzi will moderate a panel with primary care physician Dr. Marie Brown and nurse-midwife Ginny Wurttemberg, who will share their top tips for having positive and productive vaccine conversations with adult and pregnant patients. Join us on Thursday, August 24th at 12:30 p.m. EST to gain insights and tips that you can begin implementing in your practice immediately. Click here to register!
• The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases is hosting a webinar titled “Maternal Immunization: Protecting Mother and Baby” on August 10 from 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM EST. Join C. Mary Healy, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics-Infectious Disease at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, as she discusses the rationale and evidence for these recommendations and strategies to improve vaccination rates in pregnant women. Click Here to Register!

Note: No July Meeting

June Meeting Recap

Agenda: 

• Speakers:
  • WebIZ Update: The State Immunization Program shared updates on WebIZ and held a forum for questions and concerns from our partners.
    • Las Vegas: Teneale Chapton, Senior Public Health Advisor
    • Reno: Mandy Harris, NV WebIZ Manager
  • Panel: Understanding Special Populations and Barriers to Healthcare/ Immunizations. We will hosted a panel of local community leaders who spoke about special populations/ topics including: Mental Health, Homeless, LGBTQ, and Autism. Speakers described barriers and offered solutions. The goal of the session is to help our partners understand the challenges individuals with specific needs face in accessing healthcare as well as immunizations.
    • Las Vegas:
      • Alexandria Anderson, Southern Nevada CHIPS
      • Monica Dell’Orto, Family TIES of Nevada
    • Reno:
      • Jeromy Manke, Build Our Center, Inc.
      • Eleni Murphy, Northern Nevada HOPES
• June Meeting Report
• June Agenda

Announcements and Updates:

May Meeting Recap

Agenda:

• Speakers: School Age Immunization Challenges and Resources: Our two speakers shared the recent survey of school nurses and outlined the barriers nurses face in maintaining high immunization rates at their schools. We also provided an update on the Back-To-School plan and HPV recommendation.
  • Las Vegas: Banda Paija, Intern, Immunize Nevada
  • Reno: Leah Sussman, Project Coordinator, Immunize Nevada
    • Flow Chart: Easy to use tool to help families navigate access to immunizations. 
    • HPV Vaccination Recommendations
    • Immunization Barrier Survey Presentation
• May Meeting Report
• May Agenda

Announcements and Updates:

• Check-out this article for a summary of the state of the AHCA: How We Got Here and What's Next for the AHCA
• Nevada WebIZ has hired a new trainer. Training dates will be posted soon.
• Give Kids a Boost is scheduled to happen on August 5th in Reno and August 12th or 13th in Las Vegas, to take place the last weekend before school starts for WCSD and CCSD.
• HPN Back to School fair is scheduled to happen on June 24th from 9AM- Noon
• Children’s Advocacy Alliance is focusing on communicating with Senator Heller. Visit their page for advocacy resources and ways to get involved.
• National Nurses Week is May 6-May 12
• The 2017 Southern Nevada NIIW Baby Bash was a success! The number of infants who received vaccine doubled from the 2016 NIIW Baby Bash and there was a 66% increase in total vaccines administered. There was a total 353 participants including 74 volunteers.
• Please take this survey in English or Spanish distributed by the Maternal and Child Health Coalition in southern Nevada  to voice your opinion regarding issues concerning women of child bearing age, pregnant women, infants, children, adolescents, and children and youth with special health care needs by May 15th.

Adult Immunization Task Force:

• We reviewed tip cards and brainstormed locations for distribution.
• We discussed the logistics of screening adults at back-to-school events.
• The Toolkit is complete, and will be delivered to providers soon.
• Our next web-based quarterly meeting will be May 19, 2017 at 9:00 am.
• Heidi Parker will present a poster describing our efforts at the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit held on May 8-11 in Atlanta Georgia.

April Meeting Recap

Agenda:

• Speakers:
  • Meningococcal Vaccine Update: The Immunize Nevada Team provided an update on resources available for the new requirement. Visit immunizenevada.org/mening_info for tools and resources for clinics, schools, providers, and more!
  • Barriers to Infant Immunizations: View Nevada Immunization Report Card Here.
    • Las Vegas: Debra Svab, Complex Case Manager Preceptor, Nevada Health Care Guidance Program. View Debra's presentation here. 
    • Reno: Doreen Begley, Health Coordinator, Early Head Start and Melissa Krall, Director of Clinical Operations, Community Health Alliance.
• April Meeting Report
• April Agenda

Announcements and Updates:

• Carson City health and human services have reported 5 cases of pertussis and are working with the media and the state to update the communities. Immunize Nevada will send 3,000 postcards to Douglas and Lyon County, and are expected to go out next week.
• Immunize Nevada host a screening of the Hilleman documentary later this year. Date will be determined soon.
• Truckee Meadows Healthy Communities is planning a Remote Area Medical (RAM) event on September 29th. More details to come. Contact Sharon Zadra at if you are interested in helping organize the event.
• Saturday June 3rd is the Summer Safety Splash Event 12pm - 4 pm at Walnut Water Park 3075 North Walnut Road, Las Vegas, NV 89115. 
• THNK has sexual health resource guides available. Contact Anne at  for more information.

Adult Immunization Task Force:

• Our next web-based quarterly meeting will be May 19, 2017 at 9:00 am.
• Heidi Parker will present a poster describing our efforts at the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit held on May 9-11 in Atlanta Georgia.

March Meeting Recap

Agenda:

• Speakers:
  • Immunize Nevada Advocacy Update: Immunize Nevada is sending a letter to Nevada's Congressional delegation about the importance of vaccines and public health funding under the Prevention and Public Health Fund. For more ionformation about advocay items, you can visit the advocacy committee page. If you are interested in future healthcare-related Advocay Action alerts, please notify Heidi at .
    • Las Vegas: Mary Skau, Communication Manager, Immunize Nevada
    • Reno: Heidi Parker, Executive Director, Immunize Nevada
  • 2017 Strategic Plan & Get Involved Open House: Partners were given an overview of the 2017 Strategic Plan that outlines our goals, objectives, outcomes, action steps, and measures to communitcate our progress as a coalition. Partners moved through a series of stations representing the Immunize Nevada committees to learn more about each committee and find out if it would be a good fit for them. For more information visit the committee pages below:
    • Advocacy Committee
    • Education Committee
    • Events Committee
    • Outreach Committee
• March Meeting Report
• March Agenda

Announcements & Updates:

• Silver Syringe Tickets are on sale now! Registration deadline is April 7th ! For tickets, sponsorships and more information visit immunizenevada.org/silversyringe.
• The Nevada Health Conference is scheduled for November 13-14 at Green Valley Ranch, Las Vegas. Sponsor early bird rate ends 3/31! View sponsorship information here.
• The Nevada State Division of Public and Behavioral health is the formative stages of developing the Positive Youth Development (YPD) coalition with aims to engage youth along with their families, communities, and/or governments so that youth are empowered to reach their full potential. PYD approaches build skills, assets and competencies; foster healthy relationships; strengthen the environment; and transform systems. For more information, you can contact Lisa Godenick at
• The 16th Annual Nevada Child Abuse Prevention & Safety Conference "Promoting Mindful Approaches to Strengthen Families & Communities" is taking place June 8, 2017. Visit www.preventchildabusenevada.org for more info. 
• April 7th is Go Blue Day! Wear blue to show your support for all children and their right to a great childhood, because children are Nevada's future.
• The Healthy Start Program operated by Southern Nevada Health District is accepting clients for the free program. Call 702-759-0872 for more info. 

Adult Immunization Task Force:

• Opportunities to support current adult immunization projects underway by partners were discussed. The provider outreach toolkit was reviewed. 
• We would like to congratulate Kristy Zigenis for starting her new role as adult immunization coordinator! We are happy to have you!

February Meeting Recap

Agenda:

• Speakers:
  • Health Advocacy Presenters: Our presenters shared information about how Planned Parenthood advocates for their work, and provided an update on how the federal funding loss could impact local services.
    • Las Vegas: Samantha Fredrickson, Public Affairs Manager, Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada.
    • Reno: Daela Gibson, Director of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
  • Immunization Advocacy Update: The legislative session is underway and you can sign up for emails by notifying Heidi at . We are also raising awareness that Preventative Public Health Funds (PPHF) can be cut if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.
    • Las Vegas: Heidi Parker, Executive Director, Immunize Nevada
    • Reno: Mary Skau, Communications Manager Immunize Nevada
• February Meeting Agenda
• February Meeting Report
   

Announcements & Updates:

• Silver Syringe Tickets are on sale now! Sponsorship deadline is March 3rd! For tickets, sponsorships and more information visit immunizenevada.org/silversyringe
• The Nevada State Immunization Program has hired a new Immunization Section Manager, Shannon Bennett. You can reach her via her office phone at 775.684.2225 or
• SNHD's Healthy Start Program would like to recruit pregnant women to join their program. More information here. 
• Rawson Neal Hospital will be providing free flu vaccines to the public on February 21-23 at 1650 Community College Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89146. All are welcome! Visit our calendar for details. 
• THNK has two upcoming events:
  • Movie Night for Youth, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. The movie is "The Space Between us" at Regal Texas Station, Stadium 18, 2101 Texas Star Ln., North Las Vegas NV 89032. RSVP to . First 100 to RSVP will get a free drink and small popcorn.
  • Youth Access Day coming up called “Test Fest: Don’t Test Your Luck!” on March 11th from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at The Center. This is also a youth exclusive event. There will be free food, testing services, contraceptive services, games and music!
• Amendments to Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 441A.755 were adopted by the State Board of Health on September 9th, 2016 and affirmed by the Nevada Secretary of State's office on November 2nd, 2016. These amendments will require that all Nevada 7th graders and college freshman receive their quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) in order to attend school.  As noted below, the new requirement will go into effect beginning with the 2017-18 school year. The exact language of the new vaccination requirement may be found here. 

Adult Immunization Task Force:

• The new Adult Immunization Coordinator is expected to start on February 27. In March, we will share best practices for provider outreach.