Our History
Through collaboration and partnership, the Arizona Asthma Coalition (AAC) serves as a catalyst to develop strategies, policies and an advocacy agenda. A Board of Directors and an Executive Director assumes leadership for the Coalition. The AAC is a 501 (c) 3 tax exempt, charitable organization. Donations are tax deductible.
An Asthma Coalition was formed in 2004 to address the growing and serious problems related to asthma in Arizona. At that time, the American Lung Association of Arizona assumed the role of Fiduciary Agent for the Coalition. Due to an increasing concern about asthma in Arizona and a significant increase in asthma-related activities, the AAC became a separate non-profit organization in November, 2008.
Public health and managed care partners are concerned about the growing prevalence and seriousness of asthma in Arizona. Through partnership development and coalition building, the Arizona Asthma Coalition advocates for asthma prevention, improved quality of care and improved quality of life for people with asthma in Arizona. There are currently 180 stakeholders, all volunteers, who are active members of the Coalition. These stakeholders include state and local public health departments, state and local environmental departments, hospitals, community health centers, the Indian Health Service, health plans, faculty from colleges and universities, school health nurses, community non-profit organizations, pharmaceutical companies, pediatricians, family practice physicians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, asthma educators and parents.
Due to the interest of many volunteers in this enormous issue in Arizona, a mission and vision statement were written and t goals were created for the organization. The mission of the Arizona Asthma Coalition is to advocate for better services and improved quality of life for Arizonans living with asthma through education, partnerships and coalition building. The vision of the Coalition is to eliminate deaths from asthma.
The Arizona Asthma Coalition has many accomplishments, but with all of these accomplishments, there is still much work to be done to improve the high morbidity and mortality rates of asthma in the state. There are far too many unnecessary hospitalizations, Emergency Department visits and most importantly, there are too many unnecessary deaths from asthma each year. With the growing population in Arizona, there is an increase in automobile emissions and dust due to development and construction. These pollutants lead to poor air quality and worsening asthma statistics.
The large numbers of hospitalizations and Emergency Department visits due to asthma, indicates that asthma is not being treated and self-managed properly. Arizona needs more certified asthma educators to provide the asthma education for newly diagnosed asthmatics. School districts need to write policy around the medication carry laws that were passed by the Arizona legislature in 2005. School nurses need to have an asthma action plan for every child in their school who has asthma. Accomplishing these tasks can be achieved with increased support for projects and programs that further educate providers, their patients and families to better treat and manage asthma. We need to continue to advocate for cleaner air and improved access to health care for all, especially for under-served populations.
Recent Accomplishments:
- Developed and distributed a position paper on asthma, titled “Breathing Easier in Arizona: An Action Plan for Change”
- Updated the Arizona Asthma Coalitions website, www.azasthma.org.
The most current asthma information and tools are included. The website
was designed for easier access for patients, families and health care
providers
- Advocated for legislation concerning medication and anaphylaxis school
carry bills, clean air bills and a school nurse in every school with
750 students or more
- Created policy statements on access to health care, air quality and other environmental issues impacting people with asthma
- Participated in the technical review process for the ADHS Asthma State Plan
- Sponsored an annual Arizona Asthma Conference in at Banner Children’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. In 2010, the Conference will be held at the University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona
- Published and distributed a Provider’s Asthma Tool Kit, a School Nurse Asthma Tool Kit and a Patient-Family Asthma Tool Kit to health care providers throughout the state of Arizona. The goals of the tool kits are to improve the quality of care for asthma patients provided by healthcare professionals and improve patient self-management. All tool kits are on the Coalition’s website
- Participated in an AHRQ Learning Partnership focusing on disparities in childhood asthma. Arizona’s focus was to identify data sources to determine where disparities exist and to grow, assist, support local coalitions
- Hosted a Cultural Diversity Workshop with support from AHRQ
- "Asthma Guidelines for Schools" was published and distributed to every school in the state in 2009
- An asthma curriculum for school nurses has been developed and provides
them with a tool for presentations about
asthma to teachers, school administrators, other school personnel and
parents
- An educational mailing was sent statewide to all school Superintendents
and school nurses informing them about the new student self-carry laws
for asthma medications
- Partnered with ADEQ to produce a School Bus Idling DVD, which was sent
to every transportation director in the state of Arizona, with a second
mailing going to every school Principal