Rush Henrietta School District Honored as Asthma Friendly Schools Initiative Champion
American Lung Association Award(s) Recognize Asthma Management Efforts in Schools
Rochester, NY- The Rush Henrietta Central School District has been recognized by the American Lung Association in New York, American Lung Assocition National Office, and the Regional Community Asthma Network of the Finger Lakes for their efforts to create a school environment that is healthy and "asthma friendly" for their students with asthma.
the Asthma Friendly Schools Initiative (AFSI) Champion Awards are given in recognition to schools, school districts and volunteers that have helped to develop and or support comprehensive asthma management plans in school systems. The Lung Association recongizes AFSI achievement with two awards: The AFSI Excellence Award, which honors a school or school district, and the AFSI Champion Award, which recognizes an individual volunteer.
The Rush Henrietta School District started a partnership with the local ALA and RCAN four years ago as one of 10 selected awards of a grant from the Center for Disease Control and the National American Lung Association. Throughout this timeframe, Staff , Administration, and families have joined together to make real time changes that improve asthma care for students. Some of these accomplishments included: 1) Creating an electronic tracking system to better care and monitor students from a district ot building level, 2) Asthma Education for all: State of the Art, nationally recognized, evidence based training for all School Nurse Teachers, staff and students; 3) Increases in Asthma outcomes like improved rates of use of the Asthma Action Plans and tracking of Absenteeism rates and medications in school; 4) An Asthma Parent Advisory Commitee was also formed as a grass roots effort to join and educate families with asthma.; and 5) A Chronic Disease Board of Education policy to support these efforts. These amazing results have been incorportated into the School System and be sustained and continued into the future.
Two of the project leaders, Lea Theuer & Jeanne Schwasman, both School Nurse Teachers also recieved the national AFSI Champion Awards for their countless hours, dedication, innovation and leadership with this project.
The AFSI was created through a cooperative agreement with the ALA and CDC, division of Adolescent and school health. AFSI consists of a comprehensive set of strategiesfor creating an asthma-friendly school, including the AFSI toolkit, a planning tool based on real-life activities that ahve been used in shcools throughout the US to create comprehensive asthma managemetn systems.
"Asthma makes breathing difficult for nearly 7 million children in America, and is a leading cause of school absenteeism", said American Lung Association CEO Scott T. Santarella. "The Lung Association has been leading the fight against asthma for many years, through research, education and advocacy. By supporting the AFSI, Rush Henrietta Central Schools, has helped kids with asthma stay healthy, in school and ready to learn".
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