Breathe Easy at Home in Rhode Island

The Boston Breathe Easy at Home (BEAH) Program is the model for the Rhode Island BEAH Program and has been key in getting our pilot project up and running. Boston BEAH staff provided valuable insight and assistance as we have developed and implemented our RI BEAH Program, including sharing programmatic documents that were adapted to be RI-specific. Like in Boston, RI BEAH is a secure electronic referral system through which participating healthcare providers can refer families whose rental housing is suspected to have substandard conditions that may be exacerbating their child's asthma.

Currently, the RI Asthma Control Program has implemented BEAH in three core cities in the state: Providence, Pawtucket, and Woonsocket. RI BEAH staff trained local code inspectors in these cities to identify asthma triggers, such as the presence of cockroaches, mice, and mold or moisture problems, which are also State Property Maintenance Code Violations. The BEAH process includes the provider’s referral to the city/town code inspector, the inspection report and notice of violation, reinspections, and enforcement against the landlord in housing court if necessary. The referring healthcare provider can track the process in the system and the case remains open until all violations have been corrected.

Boston BEAH staff have provided technical assistance by phone and in person as we have strategized methods for ensuring that BEAH is as successful in RI as it has been in Boston. We look forward to our continued partnership and sharing experiences and lessons learned. Additional information about the Boston BEAH Program and how you can create a program based on this successful model is available at: http://www.asthmacommunitynetwork.org/resources.

Please feel free to contact Bonnie Cassani-Brandt at the RI Department of Health at (401) 222-7784 or BEAH@health.ri.gov for more information.