Project Description 

The American Lung Association of Los Angeles County (ALALAC), in partnership with the Northeast Valley Health Corporation (NEVHC), is conducting a community asthma intervention project entitled “Little Lungs: A Coordinated Approach to Asthma Management”. The project reached out to 100 children, 0-5 years with asthma and their families in the San Fernando Valley SPA 2, during the Fiscal Year 2001-2002, and is projected to target 75 children by June 2003.

Little Lungs is supported by funds received from the California Children and Families Commission in partnership with the California Department of Health Services Asthma Program. 

Overall Goal  

GOAL: To improve the management of asthma and the quality of life for children 0-5 years with asthma and their families, by implementing a coordinated approach to asthma-related services. 

Summary of Project Activities 

To meet the overall goal and objectives, ALALAC and NEVHC work together to implement the following collaboration, coordination and quality improvement activities: Collaboration:
• Creation of a diverse asthma collaborative, the Little Lungs Coalition, to promote conservation of resources, faster program implementation, reduction of risk, and access to specialized resources.
• Building community awareness about asthma by developing and/or distributing linguistically and culturally appropriate materials, including a SPA 2 community resource guide.
• Conducting Sesame Street A is for Asthma asthma management and education workshops for children with asthma, their families and caregivers, and childcare providers.
 
Coordination
• Utilization of Asthma Coordinators to improve the quality, availability and effectiveness of clinic-based pediatric asthma management interventions at two NEVHC clinics in Pacoima and the City of San Fernando.
 
Quality Improvement

• Development and implementation of a quality improvement protocol to assist NEVHC primary care providers in improving asthma care and education for families in accordance with national and state asthma management guidelines.
 
FY 2001-2002 Outcomes 

Juana Mora, Ph.D., a professor with the California State University at Northridge, is the project evaluator. Preliminary results of the interventions at the NEVHC Pacoima and San Fernando clinic sites indicate that participating children with asthma 0-5 experienced more symptom-free days, and parents of children with asthma missed fewer workdays and expressed an improvement in overall quality of life due to better management of their child’s disease. Other quality improvements efforts include development and implementation of an asthma action plan, increased asthma maintenance visits, and integration of the standard asthma severity classification system.  

ALALAC was recently notified of the renewal of the grant from the California Department of Health Services Asthma Program to continue its work in the San Fernando Valley until June of 2004. During the FY 2003-2004, the NEVHC Canoga Park Clinic will be included in the project. 

"Mini Graduation" held in December 2002

(L-R) Rosa Garcia, Asthma Coordinator; Rolando Toledo, MPH, Director of Health Education; Marirose Medina, RN, BSN,

Rolando Toledo giving a presentation to a group of parents