California Department of Public Health - Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Serving nearly 38 million people, the California Department of Public Health - Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion provides multi-faceted asthma management and care to children and adults through programs based in schools, workplaces, and the community at large. The Work-Related Asthma Prevention Program provides customized educational materials to underserved adults with workplace-related asthma, analyzes data to identify high-risk industries and appropriate interventions, and conducts site investigations. The California Breathing Program conducts school-based programs that emphasize environmental interventions, train staff and childcare providers, and offer incentive-based awards to schools that create healthy environments. Community-based grants to local organizations fund a range of interventions including technical assistance on topics such as pest management in housing developments, second-hand smoke reduction, and mold intrusion training for code enforcers. Environmental interventions are complemented by the California Asthma Public Health Initiative where clinicians assess individual allergen sensitivities, educate families, and often provide free products to reduce exposure to triggers. In participating clinics, the number of children with written asthma action plans increased 84 percent, and asthma-related emergency department visits dropped by 78 percent.