Milford Regional Home Health Nurse Receives Award for Improving Adult Immunization Rate
June 2010
Susan Freund, RN from Milford Regional Medical Center’s Home Health Department, VNA and Hospice of Greater Milford, is an award recipient. Each year Masspro and the Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition recognize groups, individuals or organizations for outstanding contributions toward improving adult immunizations in Massachusetts. This year, working with nine Boards of Health in her role as the Clinic Nurse at the VNA, Susan organized an immunization program which administered H1N1 to 6876 people in the community and 1839 doses of seasonal flu vaccine. Because of her work, the VNA was one of six organizations in Massachusetts recognized as achieving a 90% or more employee immunization rate. Currently, the Massachusetts rate is 58% - the goal is 100%.
Immunizations do make a difference. Currently, health departments across the country are celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the global eradication of smallpox, which is considered by some historians as the most significant single public health victory of the 20th century.