Asthma Regional Council of New England

1
Asthma Regional Councilof New England

• Welcome
• www.asthmaregionalcouncil.org

2
PRESENTATION

• Putting a
• New Vision to Work
• for the
• Asthma Regional Council
• December 17, 2007

3
Current Organization

• Description
• ARC is a coalition of federal, state and local
  public agencies- partnering with NGO's and
  researchers- that brings together the diverse
  organizational perspectives and resources of
  health, housing, education, and environment to
  focus on the environmental contributors to asthma
  in New England. Leaders with knowledge,
  resources, and determination have joined forces
  to swiftly identify and implement solutions to
  improve the lives of those with asthma.

4
Current Organization

• ARCs Unique Role
• ARC works primarily with governmental agency
  partners to promote voluntary changes in policy
  and practice to improve asthma outcomes. ARCs
  approach is effective because it helps
  facilitate
•      Access to updated data on the status of,
  and factors associated with, the disease
•       Strategies for implementing best
  practices in practice or policy
•       Opportunities for learning,
  collaboration, and planning with peers and
  experts (breaking down silos)
•        Practical ways to achieve efficiencies
  in implementation
• A culture that embraces, rewards, and
  disseminates innovation.

5
Current Organization

• ARCs Membership
• Consists of the federal regional directors of the
  departments of EPA, DHHS, and HUD as well as
  representatives of state and local agencies of
  health, housing, education and environment.
  Partners with community, academic, health care
  and advocacy organizations.

6
Context for Planning

• ARC has successfully tackled 12-pt Action Plan
  (low-hanging fruit) for 7 years
• Other organizations taking leadership (some no
  longer exist)
• Funding is tight--status quo not compelling
• BUT.
• Asthma not improving
• Disparities acute

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Questions Posed to Executive Committee

• Is there still a need for ARC?
• If so, what is our niche?
• What new areas can we tackle?
• How can we better address disparities?
• Should we continue to focus strictly on improving
  the environment?
• Are there other silos that can be broken down to
  improve efficiencies and effectiveness?
• Common diseases
• Common interventions

8
Strategic Planning Process

• Very inclusive Very comprehensive
• Nine month process
• - Strategic Planning Committee formed
• - Included professional facilitation
• Three major meetings collecting ideas and
  priorities
• - March 30th (55 reps from around region)
• - August 23rd (15 multi-disciplinary leaders)
• - November 2nd (planning committee)

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Consensus Points-March 30th Strategic Planning
Meeting-

• 1)      ARC should continue as an organization.
• 2)      Asthma remains the key issue
  uncontrolled epidemic with heaviest burden on low
  income and certain ethnic/racial minority
  populations.
• 3)      Data suggests asthma is still poorly
  managed

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Consensus Points (contd)

• 1 4) ARC should continue to focus on
  environmental contributors to asthma, AND its
  appropriate to...
•  5)  Expand its focus to improve and integrate
  both the clinical and environmental aspects of
  disease.
•    6) ARCs unique approach is to promote the
  voluntary adoption of best practices and policies

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Consensus Points (contd)

• 7)      ARCs primary work should focus on
•          Coordination of regional activities
•          Convening of stakeholders and partners
•         Promoting best practices and policies
•         Providing targeted technical
  assistance, education,and program
  implementation
•          Tracking of disease status across
  region
•          Keeping environmental public health
  (esp. asthma) on the radar screen of policy
  makers
• Bringing new resources to the region

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Consensus Points (contd)

•    8) ARC should secondarily address other
  public health diseases and approaches that share
  commonalities with asthma (Asthma ). Need to
  further break down silos.
• Asthma may be considered from 2 perspectives
• Environmentally-mediated conditions (e.g., CVD,
  unintentional injury, lead, CO, radon exposures,
  obesity/ diabetes)
• Intervention Modalities (e.g., healthy homes,
  chronic disease management)

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Decision Process

• Developed Operational Planning Document (examined
  assets, opportunities, skills, funding, external
  environment)
• Examined Feedback from Meetings
• Developed Evaluation Criteria
• Created Voting Matrix

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Decision Criteria

• Fills a niche
• Important evidence-based policy need
• Adds unique value
• Builds on ARCs strengths, reputation and skills
•  
• States can support the issue, and can work
  together on it through ARC
• Can be coordinated and leveraged with other
  activities to increase efficiency and
  effectiveness.
• Aids sustainability and opportunities for
  funding for both ARC and the region

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Expanded Vision Proposal

• Create a more robust Council that focuses on
  Asthma through the promotion of improved
  policies practices
• Improve both the environmental and clinical
  aspects of asthma
• Break down disease and intervention silos
• Enhance availability of quality data to track
  progress
• Population foci Low-income (urban rural),
  Latino and black populations, children and
  adults
• Build capacity for states to exercise leadership
  and fulfill activities.

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Rationale for Expanded Priorities

• Asthma is still poorly controlled. Both clinical
  and environmental interventions need to be
  enhanced in an integrated, culturally appropriate
  fashion
• IAQ, more than outdoor air, is believed to have
  significance in asthma development. Tobacco,
  pests/rodents, mold, allergens, chemicals are the
  most pressing problems for low income folks in
  Northeast.
• Housing and health are deeply connected
• Environmental public health still operates in
  silos. Low income populations suffer from a
  variety of related diseases that could benefit by
  coordinated interventions.
• Asthma by the numbers More adults with asthma
• Data still deemed inadequate and/or inaccessible

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PRESENTATION
ARCs New England Action Plan A Roadmap for
the Future
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Action Area 1

• Promote an Integrated and Broad-based Healthy
  Homes Agenda

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Action Area 2

• Increase Access, Analysis and Application of
  Timely, High-quality Health Data

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Action Area 3

• Support Improvement of Indoor and Ambient Air
  Quality

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Action Area 4

• Promote Best Practices and Policies which Foster
  Excellence in Environmental and Clinical Asthma
  Management

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Final Thoughts

• Roadmap is meant to be a collective and
  organizational guide it is meant to be flexible
• Priorities were chosen based on evidence, needs,
  gaps and skills.
• We encourage states to continue working in the
  areas where they are successful
• We hope State Plans will reflect regional
  priorities and connections with ARC
• Where states are able, financial support of ARC
  is needed
• Discussion continues through breakout sessions

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Thank Yous

• See
• Packet
• For
• Details