Children’s Hospital aims to cut asthma-related ER visits (Brigid Schulte, Washington Post, October 12, 2013)	Enroll at DC Health Link, Maryland Health Connection, or Enroll Virginia.	Download your DC Asthma Action Plan form in English or Spanish	CDC's new Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies

	NEW: Children’s Hospital aims to cut asthma-related ER visits (Washington Post, October 12, 2013). The reporter, Brigid Schulte, does a great job of capturing the problem of asthma and poverty in D.C., and pointing the way to what we need to do to help children and families control asthma and prevent emergency room visits. Visit the accompanying photo gallery for inspiring photos and stories.
	NEW: CDC releases Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies to help parents and administrators and staff of schools and early care and education programs to develop or strengthen plans for food allergy management and prevention.
	NEW: EPA announces its 2013 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management winners.
	A recent Journal of Asthma article reports that caregivers rarely use proper technique when giving their child asthma medication, putting their child at risk for poor outcomes, according to new research from The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. For tips on using asthma medications and devices, visit Resources for Families from IMPACT DC at Children's National Medical Center.
	A recent CDC study shows that environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), even in small amounts, adversely affects children with asthma. The analysis of 2003-2010 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that more than half (53.3%) of nonsmoking children aged 6 to 19 years with asthma were exposed to ETS. Among children with asthma 6 to 11 years of age, ETS exposure was associated with most adverse outcomes.

NEW: DC Health Link, Maryland Health Connection, and Enroll Virginia are here to help answer your questions and guide you through the process of enrolling in the insurance plan of your choice! Access information about the health insurance exchanges in our region.

NEW: Need data? Partners? Visit DC Health Matters!, a one-stop resource for online access to asthma and other community health indicators. The portal also facilitates collaborations among community-based organizations and researchers. The portal is maintained by the District of Columbia Healthy Communities Collaborative, a data-driven collaborative of local D.C. hospitals and Federally-Qualified Health Centers.

Education and Training:

	NEW: Asthma Online Tool Kit from the National Association of School Nurses (NASN). NASN's tool kit includes online asthma continuing education and a Joint Statement on Improving Asthma Management in Schools recommending that, "All school systems should adopt and implement a comprehensive plan for the management of asthma that is based on current research and best practices." as well as, "...an environmental assessment and management plan that addresses environmental asthma triggers."
	NEW: Register for EPA/NIEHS' monthly webinars on findings in children's environmental health research in November-December 2013. The webinars are presented by the EPA/NIEHS Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers, funded jointly by EPA through the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants program and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Webinars will also be recorded and posted on EPA's Children's Centers Web site.
	Free self-paced Asthma Management and Education Online continuing education (CE) program for allied health professionals from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Earn credits for learning about the NAEPP’s “Four Components of Asthma Management,” based on the latest clinical guidelines.

	See links to "Resources from NACI partners" at right for useful tools, trainings, and other resources for health care providers, schools, and patients from the NHLBI's National Asthma Control Initiative (NACI). Project findings are featured in the Fall 2012 NACI In the Know eNewsletter.
	Updated Physician Asthma Care Education (PACE) program. Download and use PACE to improve communication and therapeutic techniques for managing asthma. PACE also provides instruction on how to document, code, and improve asthma counseling reimbursement. Developed by the University of Michigan Center for Managing Chronic Disease and Columbia University, the seminar has been found in two rigorous NHLBI-funded studies to improve asthma care and outcomes.
	Asthma Green Light Handbook for Childcare Providers (PDF: 36 pages, 3.99 MB) developed through a collaborative effort of DC DOH, UPO, and UDC through the Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI Project).
	Managing Asthma and Allergies in DC Schools: A Comprehensive Resource and Education Guide (PDF: 5,272 KB/228 pages) includes relevant laws, sample policies, and forms; guidance for emergency management of asthma and anaphylaxis; and recommendations, checklists, and classroom posters.

Reducing Environmental Asthma Triggers (RETA) in the Home online training from the Minnesota Department of Health.

Data:

	NEW: D.C.'s 2013 Community Health Needs Assessment for the District of Columbia identifies asthma, along with obesity, mental health, substance abuse, and sexual health, as priority areas for improving the health of D.C.'s residents. The report, sponsored by the District of Columbia Healthy Communities Collaborative, was conducted by the RAND Corporation.
	Top Asthma Capitals™ for 2013 from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
	Asthma Surveillance in DC Emergency Departments: 2002-2011. Data for children, adults, and seniors from IMPACT DC.
	Asthma Data Brief: CDC's "Trends in Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use, and Mortality in the United States, 2001–2010" (May 12, 2012).
	Asthma State Profiles detail the burden of asthma in the 36 states and territories funded by CDC’s National Asthma Control Program.
	Asthma Hospitalizations in the National Capital Region, 2004-2006 (PDF: 10 pages/798 KB) developed collaboratively by the District of Columbia Department of Health and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

DC Asthma Resources:
DC Strategic Asthma Plan: 2009-2013 (PDF: 55 pages/4.6 MB)	DOH-endorsed DC Asthma Action Plan (English and Spanish) and DC DOH Anaphylaxis Action Plan (PDF: 1.3 MB/4 pages)
Managing Asthma and Allergies in DC Schools: A Comprehensive Resource and Education Guide	DC School Asthma/Anaphylaxis Emergency Poster endorsed by DOH and DC Public Schools (PDF: 311 KB/1 page)
A Guide to Good Asthma Care brochure (PDF: 2 MB/2 pages) free to copy or reprint.	A+ LIFE© (Asthma Learning Is For Everyone)©, a fun, family education program.

Health Insurance Coverage:

NEW: DC Health Link, Maryland Health Connection, and Enroll Virginia health insurance exchanges are open for enrollment. Links to the federal Health Insurance Marketplace are below.

School Resources:

Download the DC Asthma Action Plan fill-in-the-blank PDF forms in English and Spanish (adapted by Children’s National Medical Center from original form coordinated by the National Capital Asthma Coalition).

Download or order Asthma & Physical Activity in the School from the NHLBI.

	Visit the Resources for Families page from IMPACT DC at Children's National Medical Center for instructions and video on how to use asthma medications and devices.
	Download CDC's Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools and Early Care and Education Centers, developed in fulfillment of the 2011 FDA Food Safety Modernization Act to improve food safety in the United States.
	Get EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit and learn how to promote a healthy learning environment at your school to reduce absenteeism, improve test scores, and enhance student and staff productivity.

More Tools and Resources:

Resources from National Asthma Control Initiative (NACI) partners:

	ABFM Self-Assessment Module on Asthma CME and Maintenance of Certification - American Board of Family Medicine
	Asthma and Allergy Toolkit - National Medical Association
	Asthma Guideline Implementation Steps & Tools (GIST) - Michigan Department of Community Health
	ASTHMA IQ for Primary Care CME and Maintenance of Certification - American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
	Clinician CME and Patient Videos - National Asthma Campaign
	Great American Asthma Challenge - Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics
	Pediatric Asthma Initiative - National Environmental Education Foundation
	Physician Asthma Care Education (PACE) - Center for Managing Chronic Disease, University of Michigan
	Applying the Physician Asthma Care Education (PACE) Program to Underserved Communities - University of California, San Francisco
	School Asthma Resource Portal - American School Health Association
	Spirometry 360 Training and Feedback Program - University of Washington
	Tools for Effective Asthma Management in Schools - Los Angeles Unified School District

The NAEPP's Guidelines Implementation Panel Report has six key actions to help put the NAEPP's asthma guidelines into practice.

June 2012: Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities.