CAFA Coalition Spotlight: San Francisco Asthma Task Force
(To view other spotlights visit http://www.calasthma.org/about_cafa/monthly_spotlight/)
The mission of the SF Asthma Task Force (ATF) is to prevent asthma and to improve the quality of life for people with asthma, especially the underserved, who live or work in San Francisco, by the use of advocacy, legislative action and citywide strategies.
In June 2003, the task force released its Strategic Plan on Asthma for the City and County of San Francisco [http://www.dph.sf.ca.us/cehp/Asthma/strategic_plan_onAsthma2003.pdf]. Since then it has successfully promoted policies and programs to improve asthma management and reduce environmental triggers of asthma in schools, child care and child development sites, and homes. The task force is also working to promote coordination and standardization of asthma care in San Francisco.
The Task Force is currently pursuing the following projects, using a $102,000 FY 05-06 budget allocation from the City¡¦s General Fund that we successfully advocated for last year.
I. Improving asthma management and reducing environmental exposures for San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) students
Project: ATF is supporting increased awareness by medical providers of the asthma emergency tools used at SFUSD sites that require signatures for clinician and parent consent. Custom folders containing SFUSD-required Asthma Emergency Care Plans, Medication Forms and other Chronic Disease management forms will be provided to all private practices and clinics. This will aid parents of SFUSD students in assuring that school sites can prevent and effectively respond to asthma flares and emergencies on site.
Success!!!
„X 250 folders were designed and printed by the Department of Public Health and are now being delivered in person by ATF members and School Health Program nurses to all medical settings serving San Francisco children.
„X SFUSD is working to hire a part-time staff to coordinate the US EPA¡¦s Tools for Schools Program to help make simple fixes that can improve the indoor environment for children and staff.
„X SFUSD is working to ensure that they are using products that are environmentally preferred for the health and safety of the children and staff.
„X SFUSD has adopted the use of High Performance Design Guidelines to ensure that any buildings that are being constructed, renovated or modernized are safe and do not make building occupants sick.
II. Improving asthma care in clinical settings
Project: ATF sponsored a review course and certification exam fees which will potentially lead to national Certification of 55 Asthma Educators in clinical and community-based settings citywide. Prior to this only 4 asthma educators in San Francisco were nationally certified.
Success!!!
„X Approximately 75 physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, health workers, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, health educators and paramedics were trained in a 2-day review course and optional three 2-hour coaching sessions; ATF paid for 55 exam registrations, to be scheduled and completed within the
next nine months. To date, four new asthma educators (AE-C) have been certified, serving SFGH clinics and Tom Waddell Health Center.
Project: ATF will support improved patient access to asthma specialty care, aiming for a 2-week specialty appointment wait as the standard of care.
Success!!!
„X ATF successfully advocated for the retention of a previously grant-funded nurse practitioner position at the San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) Pediatric Asthma Clinic.
„X ATF was able to purchase products for environmental control of asthma risk factors and printing of asthma educational brochures for patients at SFGH Pediatric Asthma Clinic.
Project: ATF proposes the creation of a SF-specific website to provide resource and referral information and linkages relevant to both patients and providers.
Success!!!
„X ATF is currently developing a website in progress with City and County webmaster with the support of DPH.
„X ATF procured a mini-grant from McKesson Foundation to support website development, marketing and eventual transition of the ATF website to a privately hosted web address once the Asthma Task Force sunsets.
III. Controlling asthma environmental risk factors in public housing (San Francisco Housing Authority - SFHA)
Project: ATF will support increased expertise of SFHA staff inspecting housing units and responding to mold and moisture intrusion complaints, through the purchase of state of the art equipment used in the private sector and training in equipment use. ATF will propose, in a Board of Supervisors hearing setting, a memorandum of expectations to SFHA for their receipt of these resources.
Success!!!
„X Purchasing almost completed for two thermographic (infrared) cameras and moisture meter for upgrading the quality of mold and moisture intrusion investigations; training for 16 staff of SF Housing Authority in equipment use and for 3 staff as certification level camera users pending receipt of the equipment.
Project: ATF will develop a resource for SFHA tenants, particularly those in the Southeast sector of the city, on how to get help to control housing conditions that exacerbate asthma.
Success!!!
„X ATF produced an outreach flyer urging SFHA tenants to report poor housing conditions and providing property manager phone numbers within District 1
(SE sector). All 4000 brochures were distributed and are actively being used by tenants to improve their housing conditions. Collaborative involvement by several asthma education, tenant rights and tenant organizer community-based groups. Alternate versions now being developed for other political districts of the city where SFHA tenants experience frequent housing habitability issues; Spanish and Chinese translations are pending.
IV. Increasing Public Awareness and Resources
Project: ATF will focus public attention on asthma management and prevention annually in early May in conjunction with World Asthma Day.
Success!!!
„X World Asthma Day 2005: Asthma Task Force produced and televised a 30-second public service announcement with our member Natasha Madaris, who lost her 4-year old son, Armani Johnson to asthma. In-kind support was provided by Kaiser Permanente Media Services and SF Department of Public Health.
„X World Asthma Day 2006: Asthma Task Force member Mary Higgins, from Bayview Hunters Point Health and Environmental Resource Center (HERC), produced a community event calling attention to asthma management and prevention, and highlighting HERC¡¦s Project Clean It Up, providing tenant education on asthma triggers in the home, and the safe cleaning and prevention of mold growth.
V. Future Projects Pending
„X Just awarded: Asthma Task Force was just awarded $10,000 from CPMC Community Health Programs to investigate causal factors of pediatric asthma hospitalizations for patients affiliated with CPMC and St. Luke¡¦s medical providers.
„X In progress: Development of a communications plan, media outreach materials and purchase of ads with the non-profit Public Media Center. Expending in-kind support of California Endowment funding awarded to the Asthma Task Force.
„X Pending: Reworking of current SF Asthma Resource and Referral Guides (bilingual in Spanish and Chinese) to reflect new resources established by Asthma Task Force.
Asthma Task Force-related Grant Applications Pending:
„X California Breathing (CDHS) for pharmacy-based outreach focused on reducing African American asthma health disparities;
„X SF County Transportation Authority for Lifeline Transportation Funding to improve Bayview Hunters Point residents¡¦ access to health care;
„X US HUD to support Healthy Homes outreach and remediation for children with asthma; and
„X Kaiser Permanente Community Benefits to support a roving asthma clinical case management team for smaller community clinics.
The San Francisco Asthma Task Force continues to work to reduce the burden of asthma in San Francisco and build partnerships that can help children and adults with asthma live safe, healthy and active lives.
For more information contact:
Anjali Nath, Advocacy Coordinator for the San Francisco Asthma Task Force. http://sfgov.org/site/asthmatf_index.asp
Director of Asthma Programs for Breathe California, Golden Gate Public Health Partnership
Phone: 650-994-5868
Fax: 650-994-4601
anjali@ggbreathe.org
|
Printer Friendly 
