Caimi (Pio Albergo Trivulzio): ‘A health hub for all’

Prevention as an engine of innovation: Pio Albergo Trivulzio has made use of the experience gained during the Sars-Cov2 pandemic to rethink the role of vaccination hubs within an RSA. The objective recently undertaken is in fact the creation of a center for prophylaxis and preventive medicine, in line with the planning of the regional health system, which enhances proximity medicine. The anti Covid vaccination campaign, launched on 27 December 2020, reached 99% of guests and operators in a few days. And in May 2021 the vaccination center was opened to the population, transforming it into a real hub, capable of delivering approximately 245 thousand vaccinations as of March 31st. Furthermore, through a special portal, a surveillance plan was activated 24-48 hours after administration with the creation of a dedicated multidisciplinary team, to give quick answers both in the clinical and administrative fields. Even before the pandemic, the vaccination offer for patients at Pio Albergo Trivulzio included anti-influenza and anti-pneumococcal. Since May 2nd, the proposal has been enriched with the new anti-herpes zoster vaccine, which was administered to about seventy guests in the first month. “The experience with Covid has taught us the value of prevention also extended to the Lombard population – says Barbara Caimi, Director of the Hospital-Territory and Outpatient Pathway Integration Unit -. The pandemic has taught us that we must also take care of other diseases, including which herpes zoster plays an important role. It is an acute viral disease, caused by the reactivation of the varicella virus, and can lead to disabling clinical complications for our patients. It can even lead to pneumonia, nephritis, meningitis, neuralgia post herpetic and even the exitus. Now we aim to reach all the guests of the facility, who may be affected by this form of prevention. “The role of vaccines, foreseen in the regional health prevention plan, is becoming central in patient management in Rsa. Hence the value of clear and effective communication “not only intended for guests, but also for their families iari and health workers – continues Caimi -. Careful information is the cornerstone of the success of each vaccination campaign, taking care of the relationship with family members and caregivers is essential. For this reason, with the pandemic we have created a transparent bulletin, to give all the useful information on what the structure is doing internally to protect patients “. An aid that is flanked by the daily doctor-family dialogue, and the relatives committee that meets every fortnight to get the information necessary for the care of your loved one. “In a complex phase such as the beginning of the pandemic, we organized a webinar to explain the reasons for vaccinations – continues Caimi – and now we are doing the same for the herpes zoster vaccination. The difficulty is not so much to understand the value of the vaccine, but to convey that it is then important to undergo this form of prevention. The decision to dedicate places and resources to the creation of a vaccination hub for the entire population was a winning one – he continues -. Also to better understand the mission of Pio Albergo Trivulzio, which is teaching what is the all-round care of fragile patients with multiple risk factors. I believe that what has been done can be considered a best practice that other structures can also implement. In fact, we are carrying out training courses with other RSAs to show what our fundamental actions have been, which have allowed us to vaccinate 99% of the guests in a few days and achieve important results “. The goal of becoming a health reference point for the population, especially the fragile one due to age and pathologies, was submitted to the Health Protection Agency of the metropolitan city of Milan, to make one of the two vaccination centers the site of vaccination prophylaxis , as required by the regional health prevention plan. “We would like to create dedicated prevention services – underlines Caimi -. Places in which to offer the population and patients, together with the support of general practitioners, educational projects on proper nutrition, smoking addiction and much more. Spaces in which prevention is complete, not only from a vaccination point of view ”, she concludes.