School Personnel

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) created a central resource [termed the School-based Asthma, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Management Program (SA³MPRO^TM)], in collaboration with others to assist students with asthma and allergies and their families practice consistent management of their conditions at school. In April 2019, with Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN) and Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the AAAAI and others initiated the School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act (H.R. 2468) as bipartisan legislation to support the SA³MPRO^TM program. The legislation was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 29 and U.S. Senate on December 17, 2020.

H.R. 2468 amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the conditions under which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in making asthma-related grants, gives preference to a state. The measure will give preference to states that require elementary and secondary schools to have at least one individual, such as a school nurse or other school staff, to direct and apply a comprehensive school-based allergies and asthma management program on a voluntary basis. The program will include a method to identify students with allergies and asthma, have on file an action plan for each individual student, and develop a support system for each such student coordinating school staff, family members and health care providers. The two most important strategies for preparing schools in the event of an asthma incident are implementing individual action plans and preparing school staff to assist children experiencing an attack.

Its passage by the 116th Congress reflects ongoing AAAAI advocacy efforts, and those of its patient advocacy organizations, including the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and the Allergy and Asthma Network, along with the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

For more information, visit www.aaaai.org/SAMPRO.

Improving the air quality inside and outside of school buildings can improve students’ health and readiness to learn. The Massachusetts Asthma Action Partnership (MAAP), in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Asthma Prevention and Control Program (APCP), and Health Resources in Action, have developed a new resource, Clearing the Air: An Asthma Toolkit for Healthy Schools to help schools create an asthma-friendly learning and working environment. This toolkit contains sample policy language, best practices, and curated resources and tools. Nine policy and practice areas have been identified as target areas to help improve air quality:

• School-wide environmental health and safety management
• Green cleaning and environmental purchasing programs
• Integrated pest management
• Leaks and moisture
• Clutter
• Outdoor air pollution
• Fragrance
• Tobacco
• Clinical asthma management in the school setting 

Keeping Families Healthy (KFH) in Stony Brook, NY is a program that bridges the gap in pediatric care coordination by employing community health workers (CHWs) to serve as a liaison between families and their child’s clinicians. The program was founded by Susmita Pati, MD, MPH, to address challenges experienced by children and their families due to chronic or complex conditions, social risk factors such as lack of resources, language barriers, health literacy, transportation and insurance issues. Most recently, the program won the Academic Pediatric Association’s 2017 Health Care Delivery Award for “its innovation in linking the medical home with the community, engaging learners at multiple levels, and conducting academic work in concert with care delivery to at-risk children”. 

 Clinicians identify patients who are at risk for poor outcomes and refer them to the KFH program. Next, CHWs reach out offer to enroll families in the program. The role of the CHWs is to improve the family’s ability to receive necessary care and services, and work with them until both parties mutually agree the family is self-sufficient. 

KFH has seven main goals: 1. Clarify how to seek appropriate medical treatment 2. Empower families to be prepared for appointments with clinicians 3. Facilitate families’ understanding of the clinician recommendations 4. Facilitate families creation of a system to keep track of their child’s medical information 5. Identify and address barriers to obtaining health care 6. Provide appropriate health education 7. Connect families with local community resources