Hospitals in Action >> Case Examples

LA RABIDA CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL - Chicago, Illinois
La Rabida Community Asthma Program for Children

What is it?
The La Rabida Community Asthma Program for Children (LCAPC) works with the Chicago Public Schools to help identify children in at-risk communities by screening to diagnose children and educating the community about asthma. The LCAPC teaches school staff, students, and parents the signs and triggers of asthma, how to respond in an emergency, and how to improve physical environments to reduce the ‘triggers’ of asthma. Since its inception, the program has identified 11 percent of children within the schools with previously undiagnosed asthma. LCPAC then helps connect these students with the proper medical resources to help manage their condition by linking them to a care provider.

Who is it for?
Students in the Chicago Public Schools and their families.

Why do they do it?
The LCPAC was formed 10 years ago in response to startling statistics about asthmatic children, their hospitalization rates, and school absenteeism from the American Lung Association, such as the fact that asthma causes more pediatric hospitalizations than any other chronic condition and results in as many as 14 million lost school days each year.

Contact: Mary Mooney
Public Relations and Community Outreach Specialist
Telephone: 773-753-8679
Email: mmooney@larabida.org