Southwest Regional Asthma Coalition-Minnesota Asthma Coaliti

The Southwest Regional Asthma Coalition is one of nine regions that make up the Minnesota Asthma Coalition, a part of the American Lung Association of Minnesota. The Southwest Regional Asthma Coalition (SWRAC) consists of the following counties in this area: Big Stone, Swift, Kandiyohi, Chippewa, Renville, Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, Redwood, Lyon, Lincoln, Pipestone, Murray, Cottonwood, Rock, Nobles, and Jackson. The Minnesota Asthma Coalition (MAC) mission statement is: “To enhance the quality of life for people with asthma in Minnesota.” Therefore, one of the goals of SWRAC is to get information out about asthma and how people can better manage their disease.

The SWRAC consists of a group that meets approximately 4-6 times a year in the Willmar community. The coalition has members with a variety of backgrounds to include: school nurses, asthma and allergy specialists, respiratory therapists, public health nurses, pharmacists, family members, and others who are affected by asthma in their daily lives. The coalition is quite active throughout the year with planning educational family events, promoting at health fairs and annual functions, creating media for the general public, and educating various groups of people on asthma. The coalition also partners with the Willmar STEPS program and the Kandiyohi County Tobacco Coalition throughout the year.