Originally Released: August 16, 2000
Contact: Ellen Beth Levitt, eblevitt@umm.edu, 410-328-8919
Heather Lamont aafamd@bcpl.net, 410-321-4710

UM HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN AND THE ASTHMA AND ALLERGY FOUNDATION BRING THE BREATHMOBILE TO BALTIMORE

Mobile Clinic Will Provide Comprehensive Asthma Care to Baltimore School Children

The University of Maryland Hospital for Children and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) are developing an asthma clinic on wheels capable of providing ongoing treatment of asthma to children who do not have access to medical care. The roving Breathmobile is a custom built motor home loaded with computers and medical equipment that will provide services to public schools in Baltimore's neediest areas. It will allow healthcare providers to diagnose children with asthma, provide treatment, and dispense medication in the field.

A working prototype of the Breathmobile will begin a tour of Baltimore with a ceremony at Baltimore City Hall on August 29 at 11:30 a.m. The Breathmobile will then be on display at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children on August 30, from 9:00 a.m. until noon. AAFA's Maryland-Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter is providing initial funding for the program and plans to deliver Baltimore's first Breathmobile to the University of Maryland Hospital for Children in September 2001.

Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism and the number one reason for pediatric emergency room visits. Children miss more than 10 million school days each year in the United States due to asthma. In Baltimore, as many as 650 children with asthma visit the emergency room at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children each month. More than 700 children are admitted to the hospital each year.

"There is a tremendous need for asthma treatment in Baltimore. In some schools, as many as 20 percent -- one out of every five students -- is suffering from asthma, according to our research. The national average is only about five percent, " says Carol Blaisdell, M.D., chief of the pediatric pulmonology and allergy division at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Many children with asthma are not receiving the treatment they need, because parents are unable to afford health care or they do not have transportation to take their children to a doctor. Also, many parents are unaware their children have or are at risk of developing asthma. "The Breathmobile will bring medical care directly to children who need it," adds Dr. Blaisdell.

Baltimore's Breathmobile project is modeled after a successful program organized by the AAFA chapter of Los Angeles, California. Baltimore's first Breathmobile will be operated and staffed by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare providers from the University of Maryland Hospital for Children. The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy will provide an onboard pharmacist to review medication usage, and counselors will be provided by the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

The Breathmobile will treat children attending 14 public schools in West Baltimore. Students with signs or symptoms of asthma will be referred to the Breathmobile by school nurses. During each visit, students will be examined by an asthma specialist who will conduct a peak flow test to determine the child's breathing capacity and provide appropriate treatment. The healthcare team from the Breathmobile will continue to monitor the children and provide asthma education and treatment throughout the year. Parents and children will also be taught to recognize the symptoms of asthma and ways to avoid serious attacks.

A second Breathmobile will be operated by the John Hopkins Children's Center and will treat school children living in East Baltimore. Howard University will operate a third vehicle in the Washington, D.C. area. "Baltimore has a great need for a service like the Breathmobile," says Mary Anne Ellis, executive director of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation Maryland-Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter.

"The Breathmobile will really help families who can't afford care or can't get their children to a doctor. It is a great success in Southern California and we are confident we can repeat that success here in Maryland," adds Ellis.

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This page was last updated on: February 25, 2008.