Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma

The Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma (LBACA), started in 1999, is a partnership to improve the lives of children with asthma in the Long Beach community. LBACA is one of 7 sites in the US and Puerto Rico awarded grants under the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation’s Allies Against Asthma program, and one of 12 sites in California awarded grants under The California Endowment’s Community Action to Fight Asthma (CAFA) Program. Focus is on Long Beach and its surrounding communities.LBACA’s activities include a community health worker home visiting program, an asthma resource center, Physician Asthma Care Education training to improve physician asthma management skills and training medical assistants to provide asthma education to patients at provider sites. LBACA is also teaming up with schools, after-school programs, parks and recreational centers to develop asthma-friendly environments and policies; and mobilizing the community to respond to air quality issues, both indoors and outdoors.What are the coalition’s long-term objectives? 1) To change the profile of childhood asthma in the most affected areas of the City of Long Beach through improved healthcare delivery and quality, outreach, education, support systems, improved living environments and changes in policy at all levels.