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About the Montana Asthma Control Program Key Program Documents
Improving Clinical Outcomes The Montana Asthma Advisory Group
Montana Asthma Data Asthma-Friendly Schools
The Montana Asthma home visiting Project (MAP) Certified Asthma Educators
Other Asthma-Related Resources Asthma Webinars
Contact Information

About the Montana Asthma Control Program

The Asthma Control Program at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human services is committed to improving the quality of life for all Montanans with asthma. 

The Montana Asthma Control Program supports:

  • Surveillance of asthma and related risk factors in Montana
  • Partnerships to increase the reach and efficacy of asthma control efforts statewide

  • Quality improvement measures that increase the level of asthma related health care in the state

  • School and workplace interventions that create asthma friendly spaces and support the unique needs of persons with asthma

  • Environmental interventions that reduce asthma triggers such as tobacco smoke, mold and pests

  • Self management education that empowers patients to take control of their disease

  • Policy development related to asthma in Montana

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Key Program Documents

Montana Asthma Control Program Strategic Evaluation Plan Cover

 

State Asthma Plan Cover

In August 2010, the Montana Asthma Advisory Group and the Montana Asthma Control Program released the Strategic Evaluation Plan.  The Strategic Evaluation Plan is a document designed to assess the direction, feasibility, and significance of the projected projects and their associated objectives to be completed over the next five years. The Strategic Evaluation Plan is considered to be a living document, and will be updated on an annual basis.

 

In January 2009, the Montana Asthma Advisory Group and the Montana Asthma Control Program released the Montana State Asthma Plan. The Montana State Asthma Plan outlines a public health approach to addressing asthma in Montana over the next three to five years. The plan acknowledges that asthma is a complex public health problem that must be addressed within a multidimensional framework. The plan includes goals, objectives and strategies to address asthma through:

  • Partnerships
  • Surveillance
  • Healthcare interventions
  • Environmental interventions and
  • School and Childcare Interventions

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Montana Asthma Data

CAM Use and Asthma

Asthma Burden Report 2013

Environmental Asthma Triggers in Montana

To access reports published by the Montana Asthma Control Program, click on the links below.

Surveillance Reports:

Other Reports:

To access state and national data on asthma follow these links:

For more information on Montana asthma data, please contact Jessie Fernandes.

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Asthma Friendly Schools

The Montana Asthma Control Program now has a website specifically dedicated to addressing asthma issues in school and childcare settings: http://asthmamontana.com

The Montana Asthma Control Program has created a resource guide for schools in Montana seeking to create asthma friendly environments. This guide, now in its second edition, is called Creating Asthma Friendly Schools in Montana. In addition, you can also view the accompanying Creating Asthma Friendly Schools PowerPoint presentation. The recommendations in both the guide and presentation for ensuring that students with asthma can participate in school activities are in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  If you are interested in having a presentation at your school about creating an asthma friendly environment, please contact Jeanne Cannon.

Creating Asthma Friendly Schools Resource Guide Cover

A Montana state law, MCA 20-5-420, allows students in Montana who have a Medication Authorization form on file with the school to carry and self-administer their rescue asthma medication. The law also allows for back up medication to be kept at the school. Schools cannot deny students the right to carry their asthma medication if this form is completed and on-file at the school. Follow this link to the Asthma and Severe Allergy Medication Authorization form.

Click here for the most updated version of the Montana Asthma Action Plan for kids.

School Nurse Mini-Grants

The Montana Asthma Control Program provides $500 mini-grants to school nurses to carry out evidence-based, asthma-related activities. To learn more, click here.

Athletes with Asthma and Wildfires

Athletes with asthma competing in Montana may have exacerbations of their asthma during wildfire season. The Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Office of Public Instruction have approved recommendations for when to cancel outdoor sporting events due to wildfire smoke. School administrators, coaches and other staff can use this information to make informed decisions during wildfire season. For more information on air quality in Montana, visit the Today's Air web page run by the Department of Environmental Quality, and the University of Montana's pollen and spore count page.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) has a national asthma friendly schools Initiative. To learn more, visit their Creating Asthma Friendly Schools website.

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The Montana Asthma home visiting Project

Based on both the CDC's Community Guide effective program recommendations and on the EPR-3 asthma management guidelines, the Montana Asthma Project (MAP) is a home-based, multi-component program which targets children and their families, and which includes both environmental and educational aspects. The first MAP pilot sites signed onto contracts in March, 2011. Since receiving training and program materials in the spring, the the site staff have been recruiting enrollees to participate in the 12-month program.

MAP logo

In order to be eligible for the program, children aged 0 to 17 years of age with a diagnosis of asthma must:

  1. Live within the sites' service area AND
  2. Have had at least one emergency department, urgent care, or hospitalization for asthma within the previous 12 months, OR have scored less than 20 on the Asthma Control Test within the previous 12 months (applicable to those age 4 and older).

Currently, MAP services are available through the Missoula City-County Health Department, the Lewis & Clark City-County Health Department in Helena, and the Bullhook Community Health Center in Havre. Check out the MAP curriculum that they're using. You can learn more about the program by reading articles that were published in the Helena Independent Record and Havre Daily News, by listening to a story on Montana Public Radio, or by contacting Jeanne Cannon.

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Certified Asthma Educators

The Montana Asthma Control Program supports healthcare providers in Montana who seek the national certified asthma educator credential (AE-C).  The program provides support for studying for the AE-C exam through:

  • A lending library of free study materials
  • Asthma educator certification review courses
  • Because we are a state program, we can only provide these services to Montana healthcare providers. If you practice elsewhere, please contact your state health department or the national Association of Asthma Educators.

To learn more about this service, read our Certified Asthma Educator Initiative brochure.  For more information about the lending library and review courses, please contact Carolyn Linden.

Certified Asthma Educator Brochure

Want to share some asthma-friendly cleaning tips with your clients and patients? Take a look at this great resource for inexpensive, asthma-friendly ways to dust, clean windows, control pests, and more.

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Improving Clinical Outcomes

The Montana Asthma Control Program is committed to helping healthcare providers in the state improve their clinical outcomes. To this end, we provide:

  • Free, asthma-related patient education materials geared toward adults and children for Montana healthcare providers.

    Support for use of the new Expert Panel Report-3 Asthma Guidelines. A helpful summary of these new clinical guidelines is located here.

  • Our program has a free clinical registry, the Asthma Care Monitoring System (ACMS), for clinics in the state to track their asthma patient populations.

If you have any questions related to improving clinical outcomes in your patient population, please contact Jeanne Cannon, RHIA, CPhT, CWPM.

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The Montana Asthma Advisory Group

The Montana Asthma Advisory Group is a diverse team of stakeholders representing more than 25 agencies from across the state who meet regularly to provide guidance and advice on asthma control efforts statewide.  Below are links to presentations and handouts from previous workgroup meetings.

May 10, 2013: Asthma and the Environment

November 7th, 2012: MetNet meeting

August 24th, 2012: Topic- Healthy Homes in Montana Location- Helena, Montana

April 27th, 2012: Missoula, Montana

December 7th , 2011: via MetNet

August 26, 2011: Helena, Montana

April 15, 2011: Bozeman, Montana

November 17, 2010- MetNet Meeting: Environmental Asthma Triggers

August 20, 2010 meeting in Missoula: Evaluation and Asthma Education

March 19th, 2010 meeting in Helena:  Uncontrolled Asthma and Asthma Disparities

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Other Asthma-Related Resources

Disclaimer: The above links to external websites are provided in the hope that users will find helpful material on asthma-related subjects. Because the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services cannot control those sites, we cannot be held responsible for content included in them. Moreover, in no way should an external link be considered any form of endorsement by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

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Asthma Webinars

February 28, 2013: Pediatric Asthma (Not Just Little Adults). -Michael Zacharisen, MD, Clinical Professor, University of Colorado School of Medicine. View a recording of the webinar here. Slides for the presentation are available here. Respiratory therapitsts are eligible to receive CE credit after viewing the recorded webinar. For more information, contact Jeanne Cannon .

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Contact Information

Jeanne Cannon, RHIA, CPhT, CWPM
Program Manager
Quality Improvement Coordinator
E-mail: jcannon@mt.gov
Phone: (406) 444-4592

Jessie Fernandes, MPH, CPH
Epidemiologist
E-mail: jfernandes@mt.gov
Phone: (406) 444-9155

Carolyn A. Linden
Administrative Assistant
E-mail: clinden2@mt.gov
Phone: (406) 444-5946
Fax: (406) 444-7465

Vacant
Health Educator
E-mail:
Phone: (406) 444-0995