2012 WIC STATE PLAN (ALABAMA) Order of Contents Goals and Objectives ii Accomplishments vii CHAPTER I Vendor and Farmer Management I-1 CHAPTER II Nutrition Services II-1 CHAPTER III Information System (IS) III-1 CHAPTER IV Organization and Management IV-1 CHAPTER V Nutrition Services and Administration (NSA) V-1 CHAPTER VI Food Funds Management VI-1 CHAPTER VII Caseload Management VII-1 CHAPTER VIII Certification, Eligibility and Coordination of Services VIII-1 CHAPTER IX Food Delivery/Food Instrument (FI)/Cash Value Voucher (CVV) Accountability IX-1 CHAPTER X Monitoring and Audits X-1 CHAPTER XI Civil Rights XI-1 CHAPTER XII Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Information XII-1 CHAPTER XIII EBT Implementation XIII-1 GOALS and OBJECTIVES Goals and Objectives Chapter I: Vendor Management Goal Ensure vendors are in compliance with federal regulations and state requirements. Objectives 1. Provide training, educational materials and support to the vendors so that they have current information about program requirements. 2. Collaborate with the Alabama Grocers Association to distribute up to date information to the vendor community. 3. Conduct store monitoring visits to evaluate compliance with federal regulations and state requirements, determine when additional training is needed, and address vendor questions. 4. Continue Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) planning activities as outlined in EBT Implementation Plan. 5. Enhance communication with vendors through various methods to address issues and concerns throughout the state. Chapter II: Nutrition Services Goal Improve participant health by developing innovative approaches to nutrition education and breastfeeding. Objectives 1. Continue to implement a biannual area nutrition education plan for FY 2012 with additional state level support to encourage increased fruit and vegetable consumption among women and children in Alabama. 2. Develop/revise Spanish translations of appropriate existing WIC publications for clinic use. 3. Conduct a Fruits & Veggies – More Matters (Month) campaign involving all WIC clinics to communicate to participants the health benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables. 4. Continue to meet with the Alabama Obesity Task Force to implement the AOTF State Plan. 5. Continue to address the problem of overweight in the WIC population. 6. Enhance collaboration between WIC and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Systems on nutrition education endeavors. 7. Encourage a statewide increase in the number of SNE contacts offered in a group/class setting and explore new approaches for providing SNEs. ii Goals and Objectives 8. Explore providing nutrition education classes to participants in the clinics via teleconferences and videos. 9. Continue efforts to develop and implement an interactive website for WIC promotion, information distribution, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, program referral, staff development, and other applications. 10. Continue to provide online nutrition education via the WIC lessons website. 11. Promote use of computer kiosks in clinics to increase accessibility to online nutrition education via the WIC lessons website. 12. Continue to develop nutrition education modules and make modifications to selected modules as needed for the WIC lessons website. 13. Continue to provide training to meet the needs identified by Area Nutrition Directors and/or State Office staff. 14. Continue to support and enhance the actions of the Value Enhanced Nutrition Assessment Implementation Plan. 15. Continue to provide WIC comprehensive and refresher training for state, area, and local clerical, nutrition and nursing personnel working in WIC. 16. Continue efforts to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates among participants. 17. Expand the current Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program. Chapter III: Information Systems (IS) Goal Enhance the Computer System to effectively provide quality services in a timely manner. Objectives 1. Participate in the consortium with North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia in developing and defining an integrated WIC data system within the guidelines of the Crossroads State Agency Model (SAM) Project. 2. Continue to add/enhance reports in PHALCON that will assist clinics. 3. Implement food instrument changes impacted due to the changes in WIC foods and Abbott contract formulas. 4. Continue o update applicable PHALCON forms to reflect the revised USDA policies. 5. Enhance PHALCON edits to assist with future data conversion from the current Management Information System (MIS), PHALCON, to the Crossroads MIS. iii Goals and Objectives Chapter IV: Organization and Management Goal Increase efficiency while facing increasing Program requirements Objectives 1. Provide on-going support and assistance to county and area staff for improving clinic efficiency and productivity. 2. Continue to develop spreadsheets and reports to assist area staff with budget and priority issues. Chapter V: Nutrition Services and Administration (NSA) Expenditures Goal Continue to monitor clinic expenditures to achieve covering all WIC cost. Objectives 1. Work with Area management to ensure clinic costs are within budget and quality services are maintained. 2. Monitor cost accounting monthly. Chapter VI: Food Funds Management Goal Manage available resources that maximize effectiveness. Objectives 1. Continue to work with formula manufacturers and vendors to streamline the ordering/billing process, and to reduce formula costs. Chapter VII: Caseload Management Goal Improve methods to maintain and/or increase caseload. Objectives 1. Monitor reports to ensure adequate show rate for maintaining caseload and productivity of staff. 2. Continue to utilize reports, phone calls, reminders, letters, etc. in order to increase participation rates. 3. Support area/clinic plans for increasing caseload. iv Goals and Objectives Chapter VIII: Certification, Eligibility and Coordination of Services Goal Improve quality in delivery of services to WIC participants in Alabama by enhancing nutrition assessment. Objectives 1. Continue to explore methods and resources for increasing clinic efficiency to better enable clinic staff in providing quality nutrition services. 2. Continue to evaluate the nutrition assessment protocols to ensure that VENA guidelines are being met. 3. Continue to strengthen provider competencies per Value Enhanced Nutrition Assessment Plan. 4. Continue to monitor deferred blood work using a Deferred Blood Work Report to ensure that a hemoglobin (hgb)/Hematocrit (HCT) test is performed within 90 days of certification. Chapter IX: Food Delivery/Food Instrument Accountability and Control Goal Continue to monitor Food Instrument issuance and redemption to ensure accountability according to regulations. Objectives 1. Enhance the accountability of food instrument issuance through quality assurance measures. 2. Continue to work with WIC vendors and participants as well as the Contract bank to ensure that vendors and participants are redeeming food instruments correctly. 3. Continue to monitor the programming for state food prescription changes as well as formula name/package size changes and make enhancements as needed. Chapter X: Monitoring and Audits Goal Evaluate the quality of care and services provided to participants through an effective and comprehensive monitoring system. Objectives 1. Maintain an ongoing management evaluation system to evaluate the quality of patient care, evaluate compliance with federal guidelines and agency policies, and to assist in policy development and training needs. v Goals and Objectives Chapter XI: Civil Rights Goal Ensure that all staff receive comprehensive Civil Rights training to include customer service to prevent Civil Rights problems or complaints. Objectives 1. Continue to require completion of Civil Rights training module online. 2. Maintain a copy of the certification of completion. 3. Monitor through QA that staff Civil Rights training and Program policies are being followed. vi ACCOMPLISHMENTS Accomplishments  Fiscal Year 2011      PhoneMaster Appointment Reminder System    Alabama received Operational Adjustment Competitive Funds to upgrade and install 29 PhoneMaster  appointment reminder system units in selected clinics.  The first upgraded appointment reminder brick  was installed and piloted at the Eastbrook WIC Training Clinic in April 2011.  The PhoneMaster system  has been successfully making appointment reminder calls at the clinic. Participants at the clinic have  been very receptive to the service.  Installation of the remaining appointment bricks is planned to be  completed by June 30, 2011.  Appointment show rates will be monitored to determine the effectiveness  and benefits of the appointment reminder system.  Expansion statewide will be considered if the 29  units prove effective and funding is available.      State Agency Model (SAM) Crossroads Consortium      Alabama continues to participate in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded State  Agency Model (SAM) Crossroads Consortium project with North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia to  build a model web‐based WIC Management Information System.  The SAM Crossroads Consortium  project has completed the design phase of the project and is now in the development phase of the  project.  Testing will begin in 2012 and roll‐out is expected to be completed by April, 2013.    Alabama WIC Cashier Guide  Alabama received Operational Adjustment Competitive funds to design, develop, and print an Alabama  WIC Cashier Guide directed toward educating cashiers on the correct method for processing food  instruments and how to treat WIC participants.  The Vendor community had expressed a need for such a  guide.  This Cashier Guide will be provided to WIC vendors to utilize in the training of their cashiers.  The  Alabama WIC Cashier Guide is a multi‐color brochure with clear instructions and tips to make the WIC  transaction process a positive one.  Vendor Management staff will utilize the Alabama WIC Cashier in  additional vendor training sessions being offered at centralized locations across the state in FY 2011 and  FY 2012.      Food Package Revisions  The biannual revision of the Alabama WIC Approved Food List for FY 2012 – 2013 was completed by the  Food Package Committee.  The committee is comprised of State Office staff from the three branches,  Nutrition Services, Operations and Vendor Management and two Area Nutrition Directors.  The Alabama  Department of Public Health Information Technology Division worked closely with WIC in making the  revisions to the Public Health of Alabama County Operations Network (PHALCON).  Training for the Area  Nutrition Directors was conducted who then trained their county/clinic staff.