BreathMobile
The Phoenix Children’s Hospital Breathmobile is a self-contained mobile asthma clinic. This clinic travels among the inner-city schools in Phoenix and will provide asthma identification, teaching and treatment for those students. The Breathmobile first hit the road in January 2000.
The Breathmobile was modeled after a program at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and University of Southern California . There it has grown to incorporate three mobile asthma clinics and more than sixty schools. Phoenix Children’s Hospital is building upon California ’s successes, while adapting the program to fit the Phoenix inner-city communities.
GlaxoSmithKline, through the Arizona Asthma Coalition, brought the initial idea of a Breathmobile to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The company donated funds for research and development of a program that would work in Phoenix.
Feel free to visit Phoenix Children’s Hospital Web Site.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is caused by a high number of very sensitive cells in the airway walls. These sensitive cells become inflamed or swollen. The muscles around the airways tighten and mucus in the airways thickens causing coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and sometimes death. Asthma may go untreated or undiagnosed, because the child may have only mild, intermittent symptoms that people assume is a cold. The child may only have symptoms during or after strenuous activity. Many children adapt their lives to accommodate these symptoms, because they think that this is normal. Children living with undiagnosed or untreated asthma may develop permanent lung damage due to airway remodeling. People with untreated asthma are at higher risk for death related to asthma.
A successful asthma treatment program includes identification and diagnosis of the disease, appropriate medical treatment, intensive education and support for the patient and caregivers. Twenty-four hour availability of the medical team is one of the services offered by the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Breathmobile.
Signs and Symptoms of Asthma:
- Coughing (may be most noticeable with laughing or after exercise)
- Wheezing/whistling with breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain or tightness
- Tired or fatigued
- Needs to rest or sit out of activities
- Cannot keep up with other children
- Colds last longer than ten days
- Frequently missed school days for upper-respiratory illnesses
- Nighttime symptoms may also include awaking from sleep due to coughing, wheezing or chest tightness
Who does the Breathmobile serve?
The Breathmobile provides services at inner city schools, primarily in the Phoenix Elementary School District #1 (PESD#1) and the Roosevelt School District. These two school districts were chosen because there is a particularly acute asthma problem in inner-city areas, due to high levels of pollen, airborne fine particulate matter and other social and environmental factors.
Results to Date:
Children followed by the Breathmobile over a period of one year demonstrated a
- 44% drop in missed school days.
- 78% drop in emergency department visits.
- 80% drop in hospital stays.
Sponsors of the Breathmobile include Wal-Mart, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Arizona Department of Health Services, AstraZeneca, and the U.S. Health Resources Service Administration. The Breathmobile is also supported by public grants for asthma management and care.
The Health Care Team
Dr. Peggy Radford, Medical Director
Judith A. Harris, MS, RN, CPNP, Program Director
Gena Wilson, MS, RN, CPNP, Nurse Practitioner
Audrey Schoonmaker, BSN, RN, Asthma Nurse Clinician
Sherry Hunkler, RRT, Respiratory Therapist
Ramona Rodriguez, Eligibility Coordinator
Pulmonology Division, Phoenix Children’s Hospital
The Pulmonary Division is supported by four pediatric pulmonologists, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialists, and a respiratory therapist. For more information about pulmonary programs at Phoenix Children’s Hospital click your mouse to link to these sites:
- an accredited Cystic Fibrosis Center,
- an Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program
- an Apnea Management Program.
- the Breathmobile program, a mobile asthma clinic
For more information about the Breathmobile, please contact:
Judy Harris, MS, RN, CPNP
Phoenix Children’s Hospital
1919 E. Thomas Road , Bldg. B
Phoenix , AZ 85016
Phone: (602) 546-0345
Fax: (602) 546-0323
e-mail: jharris@phxchildrens.com