St. Michael gives grants to schools taking part in asthma program
CHRISTUS St. Michael celebrated the 24 school districts that participate in the Mobile Pediatric Asthma Program with a banquet Monday at the hospital. Participating school districts received health and wellness grants totaling $30,000.
Through the asthma program, children age 4 to 18 are screened with a pulmonary function test, assessed to determine if they have asthma and educated about how to control their asthma if they do.
“What we do makes such a great impact on these children’s lives,” said Wendy Gammon, nurse practitioner with the mobile asthma program. “The teaching we do makes such a big difference for them and their parents. … We do education on things that trigger asthma and make it worse like secondhand smoke or pets.”
They also teach children the proper way to use inhalers and other methods to control their condition.
The program wouldn’t be possible without support and participation from the schools.
“We want to thank all of you,” said Barb Brown, RN for the asthma program. “We wouldn’t be holding this banquet if not for the hard work of the nurses and the superintendents letting us come to your schools.”
The mobile asthma program, one of only two in Texas, is provided by St. Michael in conjunction with Genesis PrimeCare.
The program is especially beneficial for children who may be Medicaid eligible or indigent and are not currently working with a primary care provider on a regular basis.
“Program participants who do not have a primary care provider will be referred as needed,” Brown said. “Children receiving the screenings and breathing tests who already have a pediatrician or primary care provider will be referred back to their physicians.”
The program continues to grow and reach more children.
“We are in most local schools and we have grown some in the past year. We are willing to go out to those schools out of town. Travel is not a problem,” said Tina Brown, St. Michael director of practice transformation.
Schools receiving grants include schools Avinger, Bloomburg, Clarksville, Malta, McLeod, Mt. Vernon, Simms, Hooks, Maud, Linden-Kildare, Texarkana, Redwater, Red Lick, Queen City, Avery, Atlanta, Liberty-Eylau, Hughes Springs, New Boston, Dangerfield, Pleasant Grove, DeKalb, Jefferson and Pittsburg.
For more information about the mobile asthma program, call 903-748-8573.