Implementation of the Action Plan in New Mexico

1.  It is not clear to me if this has become a federal policy or is the plan still in the formulation stage? The President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children: Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities was approved and launched on May 31, 2012 by a broad group of federal partners. Its intent is to strategically align existing federal activities to advance four strategies. Specific priority actions, or activities, are listed for each strategy and represent the greatest opportunity for the federal government and its partners to advance that strategy. The four strategies are:

1. Reduce barriers to the implementation of guidelines-based asthma management.
2. Enhance capacity to deliver integrated, comprehensive asthma care to children in communities with racial and ethnic asthma disparities.
3. Improve capacity to identify the children most impacted by asthma disparities.
4. Accelerate efforts to identify and test interventions that may prevent the onset of asthma among ethnic and racial minority children.

2.  Is there federal funding to implement this plan? The plan is not a policy document. It is budget-neutral, meaning no new funds are associated with the activities. Each Agency uses their appropriated asthma funds to implement the coordinated activities.

3.  How will the plan be implemented in New Mexico? While there is not a state-specific implementation plan, New Mexico, like other states, will benefit from enhanced coordination and alignment of federal programs. For example, to advance the first strategy, EPA, HUD and CDC are working together to promote awareness of pathways to reimbursement from private payers and Medicaid for evidence-based asthma interventions, including those that involve nonmedical providers like community health workers.

As a student, and one who does not have a background in politics or public policy; I would like correspond with individuals who are involved in the policy making process. Perfect! All of us committed to reducing asthma disparities want your involvement. You can find stakeholders at the local and state level who are involved in asthma control by searching for Asthma Community Network members from New Mexico. Contact them and ask for names of individuals committed to this issue among school nurses and school officials, housing and healthy homes programs, and child care and Head Start programs. Asthma control requires a systems-based approach and benefits greatly from people who can collaborate and form policies supporting numerous initiatives.