Monthly Update

June 2021 in Review

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In This Issue…

1. AIRA's COVID-19 Response and Executive Director's Update
2. Join Us at the AIRA 2021 National Meeting!
3. HIMSS21 Global Health Conference & Exhibition: AIRA Networking Event and Interoperability Showcase
4. Measurement and Improvement Updates
5. Command-Line Interface Option for Connecting to SmartyStreets
6. Information Requests
7. Committee and Workgroup Updates: June Recap
8. AIRA Job Opportunities

Check Out the AIRA Events Calendar for Upcoming…

• Don't-Miss Deadlines
• AIRA Events
• Webinars
• Committee Meetings
• AIRA Board of Directors Meetings
• Partner Events

AIRA's COVID-19 Response Update and Executive Director's Update

Greetings,

Summer is in full swing as the heat rises across much of the country. We’re also seeing COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to rise (nearly 67% of the US adult population have at least one dose), which is a testament to the hard work you continue to do in response to the pandemic. Your work is making a big difference and helping us move toward a new normal.

There have been a few other gains made in the immunization and IIS world in the last month: most notably, a proposed increase in funding in the 317 Program, a hearing in front of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, and vaccine disparities discussions at the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) meeting.

As part of President Biden’s fiscal year 2022 budget, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has requested an increase of $100 million to the 317 Program to allow for expanded emphasis on adult vaccination initiatives.

I was proud to represent AIRA and the IIS community by testifying last month in front of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce on modernization needed to support IIS. The hearing, titled “Booster Shot: Enhancing Public Health through Vaccine Legislation,” focused on the current immunization landscape and highlighted several immunization-related bills, including H.R. 550, the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act. You can find a recording of the hearing online.

NVAC met in mid-June to discuss vaccine access and equity. The NVAC Immunization Equity Subcommittee has been looking at the complex factors that affect vaccine disparities and presented its updated report, including IIS recommendations and an evaluation of a national IIS. I look forward to being part of these important discussions and continuing to bring the voice of the IIS community to the table.

On the AIRA front, we hosted a Discovery Session on the Immunization Integration Program (IIP) Acknowledgements Workgroup’s efforts to improve data quality. This work has been done through an exciting partnership between the IIP, Epic, Vanderbilt University, and Tennessee. The workgroup shared new guidance that focuses on improving visibility and access to information from acknowledgement messages.

And, of course, we’re busy planning the AIRA 2021 National Meeting in Portland, Oregon, on August 3–5! We’re putting together an exciting agenda and hope to see you there in person or virtually. If you haven’t already, please register and book your hotel room today. You can find more information in the AIRA 2021 National Meeting article below.

It’s proving to be a busy summer already. I hope you’re able to take some time for yourselves and with your families to enjoy the weather and each other.

Rebecca Coyle, MSEd
Executive Director

Join Us at the AIRA 2021 National Meeting!

Planning is fully under way for the AIRA 2021 National Meeting! This year we’re offering a hybrid meeting with both in-person and virtual components on August 3–5 in Portland, Oregon.

We’re excited to introduce our AIRA2021 keynote speaker, Stacy Allison, the first American woman to summit Mt. Everest. Stacy has been climbing and leading expeditions for more than 40 years in remote regions throughout the world. She’s author of the books Beyond the Limits: A Woman’s Triumph on Everest and Many Mountains to Climb: Reflections on Competence, Courage and Commitment. Stacy’s stories of determination and breaking down barriers are sure to be inspiring.

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to visit the National Meeting website to:

• Register for the meeting. In-person and virtual meeting options are available.
• Reserve your hotel room at the group rate until the room block has been filled or until the Friday, July 9 deadline.

We’re so excited to see you! If you have any questions or want more information about the National Meeting, please email [email protected].

HIMSS21 Global Health Conference & Exhibition: AIRA Networking Event and Interoperability Showcase

After you join us at the AIRA 2021 National Meeting, join AIRA at the HIMSS21 Global Health Conference & Exhibition on August 9–13, 2021, virtually and in Las Vegas! HIMSS21 brings you education, products and solutions, and networking opportunities you need to solve health information and technology challenges.

There are many ways to connect with us at HIMSS21:

• Connect with the Immunization Integration Program (IIP) at a HIMSS Spot on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 10 a.m. PT in the Sands Expo: Level 2, Lobby C (outside Hall C).
• Attend AIRA’s networking event on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT in Venetian Level III: Lido 3001.
• Attend an Interoperability Showcase Theater Panel including AIRA's own Mary Beth Kurilo and Eric Larson, on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, at 11:30 a.m. PT in the Academy Ballroom at Caesars Forum.
• Join the IIP for “Immunization Program Aims to Resolve Interoperability,” an educational session presented by Stuart Weinberg and David McCormick on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, from 1 to 2 p.m. PT in Caesars, Summit 211.
• Attend the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase™. AIRA is supporting HIMSS with an immunization management-focused demo in the showcase. This is an exciting opportunity for the IIS community to collectively share standards-based initiatives that support and promote the use of immunization information to ensure healthy communities by leveraging IIS as a crucial tool in preventing vaccine-preventable diseases.

Join AIRA at HIMSS21 and save on registration!
AIRA members receive the HIMSS member rate to attend. To receive the discount:

• Go to the conference website.
• Click on “Register Now.”
• Sign in or create an account.
• Select AIRA from the “Conference Collaborating Organizations” dropdown menu.
• Enter the code COLLAB21.

Measurement and Improvement Updates

Town hall
AIRA and the Measurement for Assessment and Certification Advisory Workgroup (MACAW) would like to invite you to a Town Hall to discuss proposed Basic and Complete Validation for Incoming and Ongoing Data Quality on Thursday, July 15, 2021, from 3 to 4 p.m. ET. Baseline Incoming and Ongoing Data Quality Assessment began in the second quarter of 2020. MACAW is recommending these measures now move into Validation through the Measurement and Improvement community vetted and informed process. Validation for Incoming and Ongoing Data Quality is planned to begin in 2022.

Additionally, during the Town Hall, there will be an opportunity to present the current initiative for Data at Rest and highlight the newest content area, Provider Participation. Register here to attend and find more information on the AIRA website. We hope you are able to join us!

Have questions or need help? AIRA’s technical assistance team is ready to help you understand your AART dashboard and results, prioritize work, and support your movement toward better alignment with standards. Don’t hesitate to contact us for technical assistance. We can quickly answer a question or dive deeper into topics, such as assisting you and your IIS technical development team with better understanding of issues and making plans to more fully align with standards. Fill out a Technical Assistance Request or contact Kristi Siahaya for more information.

Command-Line Interface Option for Connecting to SmartyStreets

Need an option for bulk address validation? The Command-Line Interface (CLI) may be the option for your IIS. The CLI does not require any technology development, just the ability to download software from the SmartyStreets website to a computer. This manual batch processing tool can handle address lists of any size. After the CLI is successfully executed, SmartyStreets returns an output file right to your computer that includes the standardized and validated addresses with a ton of metadata. Best of all, the CLI processes addresses at lightning-fast speeds.
The CLI can be used for cleansing an entire IIS database (this is the primary method for the initial cleansing), spot cleansing of non-routine batches after the initial cleansing, or as needed.

If you want to learn more about the CLI and other options for connecting to SmartyStreets? We’re here to help! For information about address cleansing and geocoding, please visit our Address Cleansing Service web page or contact Tesha Lucas.

Information Requests

AIRA members can submit and review information requests—a circulation of questions to and answers from the community. Recent information requests on the topic below can be found by using the “Information Requests” filter in the AIRA repository.

We’ve noticed there have been fewer responses to information requests lately. Responses to information requests are a great way to give information and support to your colleagues in the IIS community. Please consider taking a few minutes to share information with your peers.

Information requests are viewable only by individual members and individuals affiliated with member and partner organizations. Just log in to view these valuable resources! If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Committee and Workgroup Updates: June Recap