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Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma (LBACA)

A Good Idea

Description

The Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma (LBACA) is focused on raising community awareness and reducing hospitalizations and school absenteeism due to asthma. LBACA uses a coalition approach to include perspectives from parents, doctors, and school nurses, working with the Miller Children’s Hospital, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, the Long Beach Unified School District, legal aid, and managed care organizations. The program is funded through grants from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation’s Allies Against Asthma program, the California Endowment’s Community Action to Fight Asthma Program, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s British Petroleum Settlement fund.

The program has four key components: health care provider education, improved care in schools and after-school programs, community education, and policies that impact medication access or environmental trigger reduction. Community health workers, or promotoras, provide outreach and education to families in their homes in high risk neighborhoods. Schools adjust students’ physical activities dependent upon air quality, and outreach programs identify students in need of asthma control.

Goal / Mission

The goal of the Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma is to raise awareness about asthma to improve clinical outcomes and influence policy change.

Results / Accomplishments

Through the LBACA program, 179 health care providers have been trained using Physician Asthma Care Education (PACE) programming. Community health workers have made more than 1,265 visits to over 300 families. These interventions have resulted in fewer symptoms of asthma and emergency department visits. The program has also successfully involved the community in policy recommendations.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Miller Children’s Hospital of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and The Children’s Clinic
Primary Contact
Elisa Nicholas, M.D., Project Director
The Long Beach Alliance
for Children with Asthma
2651 Elm, Ste. 100,
Long Beach, CA 90806
(562) 427-4249
Info@lbaca.org
http://www.lbaca.org/
Topics
Health / Children's Health
Health / Respiratory Diseases
Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
Organization(s)
Miller Children’s Hospital of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and The Children’s Clinic
Source
PediatricAsthma.org
Date of publication
2006
Date of implementation
1999
Location
Long Beach, CA
For more details
Target Audience
Children
Nevada Tomorrow