The Consortium for Infant and Child Health’s (CINCH) Asthma Workgroup is expanding asthma care and education in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. The workgroup conducted focus groups with school nurses, families, providers, and insurers to develop a standardized asthma action plan, which is now implemented state-wide. CINCH provides a nationally recognized Physician Asthma Care Education (PACE) program to bring providers up-to-date with national guidelines and emphasize the importance of asthma action plans for patients. Health ambassadors provide individual outreach and education to families by going door-to-door at local housing projects and underserved neighborhoods. Ambassadors connect families with services, train them in medication use, and teach them how to reduce asthma triggers in their indoor environment. CINCH also distributes back-to-school kits through elementary school nurse managers with action plan forms and low-literacy educational materials for parents.

The goal of CINCH’s Asthma Workgroup is to improve pediatric asthma care among underserved youth.

CINCH has conducted asthma training for health professionals in 87% of pediatric practices, including 33 pediatricians, 15 pediatric nurse practitioners, and 21 registered nurses. Programs have been implemented in 41 Head Starts and for daycares. During the 2004-2005 school year there was a 14% increase in the number of students with asthma action plans. Asthma Ambassadors have reached 200 families in six public housing communities, and an estimated 60% of low-income asthma families in Hampton Roads have been reached by interventions in their homes, schools, or health care provider offices.