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A Special Report on Asthma from the New York State Assembly [1]

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Date: 2025-04

Sources: National Center for Environmental Health and the American Lung Association

Assemblyman Klein:

Action & Legislation Assemblyman Jeff Klein views asthma as a silent epidemic sweeping New York City, and particularly the Bronx. He has been a leader in bringing this issue to the forefront, and in securing dollars to diagnose and treat asthma in the City. Assemblyman Jeff Klein visits with children who participate in the Breathing Easy Mobile Asthma Screening and Testing Program. In 1999, Assemblyman Klein purchased a mobile van and invited St. Barnabas Hospital and the pharmaceutical giant Glaxo Wellcome to join him in establishing the first Bronx mobile asthma initiative, the Breathing Easy Mobile Asthma Screening and Testing Program. As the van toured the Borough’s elementary schools, a respiratory specialist from St. Barnabas administered free asthma screenings, and Glaxo Wellcome provided free asthma devices. "We can test if a child is not breathing properly and should be referred for a complete examination," said Dora Jaime, one of the respiratory specialists performing screenings in 1999. "We will also show parents how to take care of their children better at home so they don’t end up in the hospital." The success of Assemblyman Klein’s mobile unit helped secure a $250,000 State grant for the St. Barnabas Asthma Initiative, a program that tracks children who have visited emergency rooms as a result of asthma attacks, and provides asthma education and preventive care in order to avoid or minimize future attacks. The centerpiece of this new initiative is the Family Asthma Center, unveiled in April 2001, that travels to schools, community centers, and events to provide asthma screenings and education. Participating children will receive free medical devices from Glaxo Wellcome. Assemblyman Klein recognizes that more research needs to be done regarding asthma, including identifying the communities most affected, and also advocates educating children, families, and school personnel about the symptoms of asthma and steps to take that will save lives and unnecessary trips to the hospital. To this end, Assemblyman Klein is sponsoring two bills to help families and communities deal with asthma: Assembly bill 7562 would create the Asthma Disease Management and Control Program. This program would include services, such as disease and case management for patients and their families; asthma outreach and screening; and, promotion of awareness of the causes of asthma, as well as education on prevention strategies, disease management practices, and available treatment. Grants would be provided to pay for these services in communities throughout the State. In addition, the State Health Department would study the incidence and prevalence of asthma and current disease management practices, collecting data from: the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System; HMOs; other insurers; Medicaid; health facilities; health care practitioners and patients; and, the Department of Environmental Conservation. The bill would also create the Asthma Disease Advisory Panel, which would monitor the implementation of programs, studies, and reports. This panel would submit an annual report regarding the status and accomplishments of the Asthma Disease Management and Control Program, and provide recommendations to improve it.

In addition, the State Health Department would study the incidence and prevalence of asthma and current disease management practices, collecting data from: the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System; HMOs; other insurers; Medicaid; health facilities; health care practitioners and patients; and, the Department of Environmental Conservation. The bill would also create the Asthma Disease Advisory Panel, which would monitor the implementation of programs, studies, and reports. This panel would submit an annual report regarding the status and accomplishments of the Asthma Disease Management and Control Program, and provide recommendations to improve it. Assembly bill 2265 would require that all teachers be trained to identify and respond to asthma emergencies. Starting in school year 2004, all teachers in both public and private schools would need to complete a course, developed by the Departments of Education and Health, on how to recognize the symptoms of an asthma attack and how to respond as effectively as possible.

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[1] Url: https://assembly.state.ny.us/write/upload/comm/postings/2001/20010907_0002136/#:~:text=In%20the%20South%20Bronx%2C%2017,2%20times%20the%20City%20average

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