Title
Vote on a request to accept FY 18 $4,000 Healthy Communities Funds.
Abstract
Action Requested: Vote on a request to accept FY18 Healthy Communities Funds.
Introduction & Background: The Guide to Community Preventive Services recommends in-home multi-trigger, multicomponent environmental asthma interventions, especially for children and adolescents with asthma based on strong evidence of effectiveness in improving overall quality of life and productivity, and specifically improving asthma symptoms. Asthma programs in certain communities in North Carolina have demonstrated that these interventions can reduce school absenteeism, emergency department visits, hospitalizations and medical care costs. This one-time funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows the North Carolina Chronic Disease and Injury Section (CDI) to work with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program of the Environmental Health Section and the UNC Institute for the Environment to train local health departments in this evidence-based intervention. Further, it allows the CDI to provide seed funds (that can be used over two years or until depleted) for five local health departments to carry out these interventions in the communities.
Discussion & Analysis: These funds enables health departments to identify and pay travel for designated staff to attend one regional Healthy Homes Training; develop a referral system with at least one healthcare clinic or school system nurse; implement evidence-based asthma home trigger assessments, provide education on eliminating asthmas triggers and conduct follow-up visits to perform assessments between three to six months after the initial visit.
Budgetary Impact: No Local Funding Requested.
Recommendation: Vote on a request to accept FY18 $4,000 Healthy Communities Funds.