Home/Housing

In 2005, local leaders in New York City developed the Washington Heights/Inwood Network for Asthma Program to address the burden of asthma in their community. Bilingual community health workers based in community organizations and the local hospital provided culturally appropriate education and support to families who needed help managing asthma. Families participating in the yearlong care coordination program received comprehensive asthma education, home environmental assessments, trigger reduction strategies, and clinical and social referrals. Since 2006, 472 families have enrolled in the yearlong program. After 12 months, hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased by more than 50%, and caregiver confidence in controlling the child’s asthma increased to nearly 100%. Key to the program’s success was the commitment and involvement of community partners from program inception to date. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print April 19, 2012: e1-e4. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300585)

Here in one location, you can find resources including clinical guidelines, patient education and self-management materials, policy briefs, asthma reports, clinical toolkits, mobile technology and asthma information, and smoking cessation and tobacco materials.

Many of the resources are available in both English and Spanish, and some in other languages, including Chinese. Also included are a variety of multimedia tools such as videos and interactive web sites. There are even links to asthma-related training courses where continuing education credits are available.

A series of four online videos, this campaign identifies various asthma triggers both inside and outside of the home. It also pays homage to the old trick of teaching
children and adults what it’s like to experience an asthma attack by having
them breathing through a straw. 

By raising the profile of asthma within the general community, advocates from all public health agencies and asthma organizations benefit.