April 17, 2009
DPHHS Releases First State Asthma Plan
The Montana Asthma Control Program of the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has released the first Montana State Asthma Plan that presents key strategies to improve asthma control, outcomes, and the quality of life for children and adults with asthma in Montana over the next three to five years.
According to DPHHS Asthma Control Program manager Katie Loveland, asthma affects over 90,000 Montanans, including 9.3 percent of adults and 11.1 percent of high school youth, and results in nearly 5,000 hospitalizations each year. “Asthma has a huge impact on the lives of Montanans,” Loveland said. “This plan is a great step forward in reducing the burden of asthma among residents in our state.”
An electronic version of the plan can be accessed at http://dphhs.mt.gov/asthma
Members of the Montana Asthma Advisory Group, representing over 30 organizations and agencies statewide, contributed to the development of the document. The plan outlines detailed goals, objectives and strategies related to improving asthma-related:
- Surveillance
- Partnerships
- Healthcare Interventions
- Environmental Interventions and
- School and Childcare Interventions
The strategies outlined in the plan will be implemented by the Montana Asthma Control Program and its partners over the next several years.
Dr. Anne Kessler, medical consultant for the Montana Asthma Control Program, said help is needed from several sources. “It’s very complex to diagnose, manage and control asthma,” said. “That’s why is so important to have involvement from numerous participants.”
Those who play key roles in helping to reduce the burden of asthma in Montana include health care providers, asthma patients and their families, public health professionals and officials from Tribal Health, environmental health, educational institutions, and policy makers.
To learn more about the Montana State Asthma Plan and the coordinated effort to address asthma in Montana, please contact Katie Loveland, Asthma Control Program Manager at (406) 444-7304 or kloveland@mt.gov or go to the Asthma Control Program website at http://dphhs.mt.gov/asthma.
Page last updated: 04/17/2009
