HILL HEALTH CORPORATION
Other Programs and Services
Project A.I.R.
A sthma
I mprovement
R esources
For children and teens with Asthma
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic lung disease which causes cough, wheeze (whistling sound
during breathing out), shortness of breath, and/or chest pain. The airways
become swollen, tight, and filled with mucus.
These problems can keep a child from playing outside, from joining in sports or
gym class, or from attending school. Asthma can also upset sleep, or can even
make climbing a flight of stairs hard.
Childhood asthma hurts the entire family. It causes lost time from work, lost
sleep, financial losses, and grief over the child’s chronic sickness and asthma
attacks.
Asthma usually runs in the
family. It often occurs with other allergy diseases, such as hay fever or eczema
(itchy skin rash).
Asthma is the most common reason that children are hospitalized.
Death rates due to asthma are increasing.
How Can We Help Children with Asthma?
Despite these grim facts,
we now can manage most cases of asthma so that your child can live a normal and
active life. Successful treatment of chronic asthma is due in large part to the
daily use of preventive medications, which reduce the on-going airway swelling
and tightness. These are called “controller” medications, and come in the form
of inhalers (puffers or pumps) and pills. They have been shown to work very well
and safely in children.
Hill Health Center now offers a complete treatment and education program for
children with asthma and their families.
Our goals are to improve asthma care services, increase patient self-control of
the disease, and enhance the quality of life of our patients with asthma and
their caregivers.
Project A.I.R. includes:
In-depth diagnosis of disease severity.
“Controller” medication for all children with persistent asthma.
“Asthma Action Plans” for home and school.
Education on using asthma tools and home management at asthma visits.
Follow-up visits to check on improvement or problems.
Follow-up phone calls by a health worker or nurse.
Asthma education groups for children, adolescents and their caregivers.
Referral to specialists when needed.
Help with reducing triggers in the home environment.
Visiting nurses for home care.
Connection with local resources, such as the
American Lung Association for summer asthma camp.
HILL HEALTH CENTER
Pediatric Satellite Clinics
Community Health Connection (Ansonia): 503-3570
Dixwell Health Center: 503-3420
West Haven Health Center: 503-3400
Davis Street School-Based Health Center: 946-7537
Jackie Robinson School-Based Health Center: 946-5811
Lincoln-Bassett School-Based Health Center: 946-7581
Roberto Clemente School-Based Health Center: 946-8961
Truman School-Based Health Center: 946-6650
Medicines alone, however, cannot successfully manage asthma. Good control comes
from self-help. The patient (and family) needs to:
understand and watch for symptoms
know which medications to take and when to take them
know how to avoid asthma triggers (such as smoke, dust, or pets)
This kind of self-help makes the child and family the asthma experts, and comes
from a good partnership between the patient and the health care provider.
Project A.I.R. is open to all children with asthma at Hill Health Center. Most
benefits of this program are covered by health insurance or are free of cost to
patients.
For more information, contact:
Genevieve Moss, APRN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Program Director
(203) 503-3601 ext. 8081
Robert Windom, MD
Pediatrician
Chief of Pediatrics
(203) 503-3177
Hill Health Center
Department of Pediatrics
428 Columbus Avenue
New Haven, CT 06519
(203) 503-3030