What is Maryland Doing to Improve Asthma Outcomes?
Maryland Asthma Control Program
The Maryland Asthma Control Program uses surveillance data from a number of sources to establish priorities for the Maryland Asthma Plan. The Maryland Asthma Control Program publishes an annual report on asthma, as well as a series of data briefs on specific topics:
Statewide Integrated Health Improvement Strategy
The Statewide Integrated Health Improvement Strategy (SIHIS) aligns statewide efforts across three domains that are interrelated and, if addressed successfully, have the potential to make significant improvement in not just Maryland’s healthcare system, but in the health outcomes of Marylanders. One of the goals of SIHIS is to decrease asthma-related emergency department visit rates for children aged 2-17. Read more about SIHIS here.
New Home Visiting and Lead Abatement Programs for Families
Maryland has two new programs for families with a child with asthma:
The Healthy Homes for Healthy Kids Program removes lead hazards and asthma triggers from the home at no cost.
The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Environmental Case Management Program provies in-home services to reduce exposures to lead and to asthma triggers.
Learn more about these programs, including eligibility criteria and availability in your jurisdiction.
Asthma Friendly Schools Program
A safe and supportive learning environment benefits students as well as educators. In an effort to promote healthy schools for children and staff with asthma, the Maryland Department of Health has created the Asthma Friendly School program to encourage and recognize Maryland schools that create and sustain safe, supportive, and asthma-friendly environments.
An asthma friendly school supports the health and academic success of students through maximizing asthma management, reducing environmental asthma triggers in the school environment, and building asthma education and awareness programs for students and staff. Chances for success are better when the entire school community takes part – school health services program staff, school administrators and staff, community health care providers along with the students and parents/guardians. Here is your chance to support students with asthma!
The Asthma Friendly School application can be found here.
Asthma Friendly Child Care Program
Children often spend many hours of their day at child care, either in a center or family home. To address the indoor and outdoor child care environment and educate child care providers on the burden of asthma, the Maryland Department of Health has created the Asthma Friendly Child Care program. The goal of the program is to support the health and early learning of young children through providing excellent asthma management, reducing environmental asthma triggers, and providing asthma education and awareness programs for children in care.
Directions on how to apply to become an Asthma Friendly Child Care, can be found here.
The application for the Asthma Friendly Child Care program is made up of two modules. Both modules must be filled out and submitted to ensure completion of application.
The Environmental Module can be found here.
The Management Module can be found here.