Delta SAM (School-based Asthma Management - Delta Region)

Location:
1417 College Street Box 3134
38732 Cleveland , MS
Mississippi

Program Type:

Community

Contact:

Judith Winford
(662) 846-4807
www.deltastate.edu
SAM (School-based Asthma Management) is a collaborative venture between Delta State University, the Mississippi State Department of Health and school districts located in the Mississippi Delta to assess, monitor and collaborate to provide effective case management services for students in the Mississippi Delta with Asthma.

The School-based Asthma Management Program (Delta Region) was estabished in 2009 by the Mississippi State Department of Health in collaboration with the Center for Community and Economic Development at Delta State University.  The Delta area component supports school nurses in 14 counties and 31 school districts.  There are seven counties in the Delta service area that are designated as priority counties based on asthma rates that exceed the state average.  These counties are Bolivar, Holmes, Humphries, Leflore, Quitman, Sunflower and Washington. 

There are seven additional high risk counties that Delta SAM services:  Carroll, Coahoma, DeSoto, Panola, Tallahatchie, Tate and Tunica.  There are approximately 175 schools in this service area.  SAM's objective is to provide effective case management tools to school nurses, connect student and parents to available resources, build capacity with school nurses, coordinate provider services, and collect and analyze data on scope and needs for effective asthma management over a five-year period.  The basic premise of success is that while asthma cannot be cured, it can be controlled in the school population through careful assessment, monitoring, collaboration between stakeholders, appropriate use of medicaitons and control of irritants and allergens.

Since 1994 when founded, the Center has engaged in an active program of externally funded programs exceeding $50 million in grants and contracts with more than 80 percent reinvested in Delta communities.  Grass roots service areas of the Center show the scope of operations:  AmeriCorps programs, leadership development, community and faith-based organization support, youth programs, school support services, health programs, entrepreneurial services, personal finance, banking, and tax services.  Delta-wide, the Center manages and supports (a) extensive health related activities for awareness and services, (b) on-site, on-demand community leadership support, and (c) training and consultant services for faith-based and community organizations.