The San Francisco Asthma Task Force (SFATF) is the only known legislated task force of its kind in the country. The task force was created when community activists, many of whom were from the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood, joined forces with the Board of Supervisors to create a citywide response to the asthma epidemic. SFATF believes that people deserve to live, work and play in healthy environments that do not exacerbate asthma. The SFATF is taking action to promote policies and programs in partnership with City agencies and the community to reduce the impact of asthma.
The SFATF has initiated and supported a number of projects that lay a solid foundation for a more comprehensive, coordinated and systematic approach to asthma management and prevention in the clinical domain, schools, child care settings, and housing arena. These strategies are illustrated in the Agents of Change videos discussed below.
A crucial factor in the success of the SFATF is the partnerships developed with the community.
To highlight these collaborative strategic successes, the SFATF produced a series of short video vignettes entitled “Agents of Change.” They demonstrate five partnerships initiated by the SFATF to improve the quality of life for people with asthma. The videos can be viewed on SFGOV television and are hosted on the Breathe California website and can be viewed by clicking on the following link: http://www.ggphp.org/tiki-index.php?page=San+Francisco+Asthma+Task+Force. These video vignettes were preceded by a public service announcement featuring a local mother who lost her four-year old son to asthma. The PSA sends a clear message to all parents that asthma is a serious issue; and, it can be controlled with appropriate treatment and self management education. The PSA can also be viewed at http://www.ggphp.org/tiki-index.php?page=asthma.
The videos were developed to educate local policy makers about effective collaborations. Recently, SFATF staff and members used the videos to educate members of the Board of Supervisors about the importance of continuing funding for task force initiatives. The videos played an important role in securing the third year of SFATF funding.
The videos are a strategy that can be adapted to the needs of other coalitions and communities.
Each vignette demonstrates the importance of the collaboration between the SFATF and its community partner. These successful collaborations can be viewed at http://www.ggphp.org/tiki-index.php?page=San+Francisco+Asthma+Task+Force and illustrate the following successful projects:
1. The first vignette features the San Francisco General Hospital Pediatric Asthma Clinic, with an emphasis on both improving the lives of pediatric asthma patients and their families as well as the quality of clinical care.
2. The second vignette features Tom Waddel Health Center and the systematic changes they have implemented to improve care for the primarily homeless adult population they serve.
3. The third vignette features the San Francisco Housing Authority’s use of thermographic infrared cameras to improve their ability to detect moisture and both prevent and respond to issues, such as mold, that can pose serious health hazards to residents, particularly those with asthma.
4. The fourth vignette features the San Francisco Unified School District’s pilot project to test a more asthma- and environmentally-friendly floor cleaner in an effort to replace all of the school district’s custodial and cleaning products for the health of all building occupants.
5. The fifth vignette also features the San Francisco Unified School District highlighting the various components of their asthma management programs including the US EPA’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for School’s program.
The SFATF congratulates its partners and acknowledges their dedication and commitment to taking these crucial steps toward a healthier environment.
For more information on the San Francisco Asthma Task Force please contact Anjali Nath at 650-994-1903 x323, via e-mail at anjali@ggbreathe.org or visit www.sfgov.org/asthma. |
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